Thanks largely to Starlink, the number of direct-to-device (D2D) connections is on the rise. However, just a sliver of mobile users around the globe have linked their phones to a satellite at this still-nascent stage of the D2D market, according to a new study from Ookla.
D2D, sometimes referred to as direct-to-cell, enables smartphones to connect to a satellite. Early on, the use case is to provide limited connectivity in areas out of the reach of terrestrial networks, enabling users, for example, to text or to provide location data. Next-gen D2D systems, such as what Starlink has in mind with spectrum it is acquiring from EchoStar, aim to support 5G-like functions.
Ookla’s study shows that the D2D market is progressing on a global basis, finding that the number of global D2D connections recorded by the company jumped about 24.5% between July 2025 and March 2026, a rise that coincided with Starlink’s D2D offering extending into Chile, Ukraine, Peru and the UK.
However, that growth was partially offset by a drop in connections in the US and Canada. “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,” Mike Dano, lead analyst at Ookla and a former Light Reading editor, explained in the report.
However, Ookla’s data sample also found the US maintained a big lead in overall D2D usage. As of March 2026, the US accounted for 45.9% of D2D activity compared to Australia (18.1%), Chile (10%), Canada (9.8%) and the UK (4.5%). Starlink accounted for most of those samples, along with contributions from Skylo and Lynk Global.
Few mobile users have connected phones to a satellite
While overall D2D activity is rising, the percentage of mobile users that have tapped into D2D remains small at this stage. For example, the percentage of unique monthly D2D users in the US in March 2026 was just 0.46% of total cellular users. The percentages in other countries were similarly small in that period: New Zealand (1.41%), Chile (1.26%), Peru (1.08%), Australia (1.07%), Puerto Rico (0.82%), Canada (0.70%), UK (0.30%), Ukraine (0.16%) and Japan (0.11%).
Part of that could be due to the current state of awareness that a D2D option even exists. But, as Dano points out, GMSA Intelligence data also shows that terrestrial networks already cover 96% of the global population – so the need to connect a smartphone to a satellite is also limited.
The D2D use cases are currently limited as well. However, improvements in D2D connection strength and the technology’s overall capabilities could play a bigger role down the road, and perhaps change some of today’s wireless deployment cost dynamics.
“[T]he widespread availability of satellite-powered ‘broadband connectivity,’ as AT&T has promised, could ease demand for additional cell towers in rural areas. This could affect the long-term business for cell tower operators,” Dano noted.
D2D-on-the-go shows promise
Ookla’s RootMetrics unit also shed some light on D2D performance when a user is on the move. In driving tests of Starlink’s D2D service for T-Mobile on Android phones in rural New York in the second half of 2025, there was a 60% success rate (143 successful texts sent and received of 238 attempts). The average time for the D2D system to send and receive a text was 1 minute, 17 seconds, across 143 successful tests, with one second being the shortest time recorded, according to RootMetrics.
“Again, this test was conducted while RootMetrics’ engineers were driving, so the sending and receiving phones were in a moving car and were not stationary. Most D2D services are intended to be used outdoors, in a stationary situation, with a clear view of the sky,” Dano pointed out.