Analysis: US leads in D2D connections
April 21, 2026
Ookla has analysed the Direct-to-Device (D2D) industry, based on Speedtest Intelligence data from July 2025 to March 2026.
“Just a few years ago, the idea that a smartphone could connect to a satellite seemed more science fiction than technological possibility. But now, such connections are not only possible, they’re popping up in a growing number of locations around the world,” commented Mike Dano, Lead Industry Analys at Oookla. “This development has significant implications for cellular network providers, telecom regulators, cell tower operators and equipment vendors – not to mention mobile users themselves. After all, D2D technology ultimately promises to eliminate outdoor cellular dead zones globally.
“However, D2D technology is still maturing. Most such connections can only transmit a few bytes of data. And the service is commercially available in just a handful of countries. Ookla data helps to shine a light on this emerging market and its growth potential,” added Dano.
Key takeaways:
- The number of global D2D connections recorded by Ookla increased roughly 24.5 per cent between July 2025 and March 2026. This growth coincides with the launch of Starlink Mobile’s D2D services in a number of countries, including Chile, Ukraine, Peru, and the U.K. However, growth in those countries was offset by a decline in the number of connections in the U.S. and Canada in recent months. This may correspond to moves by T-Mobile (in the US) and Rogers (in Canada) to begin charging some customers for D2D services, as well as other factors such as seasonal usage trends
- The U.S. leads the world in D2D connections, accounting for 45.9 per cent of all global D2D connections in March 2026. Other countries showing noteworthy numbers of D2D connections in March 2026 included Australia (18.1 per cent of global D2D samples), Chile (10 per cent) and Canada (9.8 per cent) – all countries with significant chunks of rural territory. Starlink accounted for the vast majority of these D2D samples, though Skylo and Lynk Global also generated some samples globally.
- A very small percentage of mobile users are connecting to D2D satellites in each of these countries. For example, during March 2026, 0.46 per cent of Speedtest users in the US recorded a connection to a D2D satellite. In Chile, that figure was 1.26 per cent (the highest). In Canada, it was 0.70 per cent. In Japan, it was 0.11 per cent (the lowest). This is noteworthy because it helps to define the scale and scope of the overall D2D marketplace.
- RootMetrics conducted drive testing on Starlink’s D2D service for T-Mobile in rural New York state in the second half of 2025. The tests involved sending and receiving texts on phones that were in a moving car – essentially putting extra stress on a service that’s intended to be used outdoors, in a stationary situation, with a clear view of the sky. Nonetheless, the tests showed a 60 per cent success rate. The average amount of time it took to successfully send and then receive a text (across 143 successful tests) was 1 minute, 17 seconds.
- In the US, most D2D signal strength measurements (using RSRP, or Reference Signal Received Power) fell between -108 and -126 dBm. That’s outside the -80 to -120 dBm range of traditional, terrestrial cellular network measurements. This is likely due to the remote nature of these D2D connections, which are generally unaffected by interference from other users. They’re often in outdoor environments that aren’t cluttered with lots of other cellular signals, or with the traffic of lots of other users.
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