OW30: D2D Reality Check

The satellite industry has a ‘new’ obsession, and no, it’s not Starlink’s next apology tour. It’s D2D NTN, or in human terms, making your phone talk to space without a dish the size of a pizza. Direct-to-Device Non-Terrestrial Networks are the latest promised land where smartphones and satellites are supposed to connect directly, no middlemen, no fancy antennas, and, ideally, no roaming charges that make your accountant weep.

Naturally, this has whipped the industry into a frenzy not seen since the dawn of 5G or the last time someone tried to reinvent the fax machine. Every vendor, integrator, and startup with a constellation diagram and a Canva subscription now claims to be “bringing space to your pocket.”

Telcos have suddenly remembered they love satellites (again), satellite operators are pretending they’re mobile-native, and regulators are somewhere between confused and entertained.

Of course, most D2D services today can barely handle a text message, and calling it “broadband” is a stretch unless you’re using 1998 as a benchmark. But nuance is boring, and marketing departments need something to do.

The D2D Battleground

Among the chaos, a few major players are consistently making headlines, building hardware, launching satellites, or at least filing spectacularly optimistic regulatory documents. Here’s your no-fluff, sarcasm-laced cheat sheet to the major D2D/NTN players currently shaping the landscape:

AST SpaceMobile

The boldest, and loudest, of the bunch. AST is building BlueBird, a monstrous satellite capable of connecting directly to unmodified 4G/5G smartphones using licensed spectrum. They’ve partnered with AT&T, Verizon, Rakuten, and Vodafone, and just received FCC permission for experimental testing of their next-gen satellite.

They plan launches every 1–2 months starting now, with beta service in North America by year-end, pending no technical “surprises” in orbit. Their stock may be volatile, but their press releases are not.

Lynk Global

The underdog with actual phones texting in space today. Lynk is going after SMS and low-rate data with unmodified phones, using small LEO satellites acting as “cell towers in the sky.” They’ve already demoed services in multiple countries and signed commercial agreements with MNOs like Smart (Philippines) and Telecom Namibia.

They aren’t promising Netflix from orbit, but they’re quietly doing the basics well, and actually getting regulatory traction.

Starlink + T-Mobile (T-Satellite)

The celebrity couple of the D2D world. T-Mobile and SpaceX’s Starlink announced “text messaging from space” under the T-Satellite banner.

It’s built around the PCS G Block spectrum and promises initial SMS service with future voice/data. But rollouts have been vague, and this week’s global Starlink outage didn’t help their “we’ve got your back” narrative.

Still, it’s Elon. People will watch even if it’s buffering.

Apple Globalstar

Quiet but influential. Apple’s Emergency SOS via Satellite, powered by Globalstar, is already on millions of iPhones. It’s not truly “NTN broadband”, it’s more like a satellite-enabled walkie-talkie for emergencies, but Apple made D2D sexy for the masses.

Globalstar is now investing in new spectrum and satellite capacity to expand this model beyond life-saving pings.

IRIDIUM

is playing the long game. Its NTN Direct initiative with Qualcomm targets standard-compliant D2D messaging and narrowband IoT, not cat videos.

Their recent partnership with Qualcomm Syniverse positions them as the backend layer for MNOs seeking to add satellite coverage without remaking the wheel. Think “infrastructure play,” not iPhone headline.

OQ Technology

The quiet overachiever. OQ specializes in narrowband IoT (NB-IoT) over LEO and is already flying payloads in orbit with actual NB-IoT traffic. Their satellites support standard 3GPP NB-IoT protocols, meaning your off-the-shelf tracker could talk to space without needing a makeover.

Based in Luxembourg, OQ is building a scalable, standards-compliant network for industrial users who care more about uptime than hype.

Inmarsat MediaTek

Post-merger, Inmarsat’s D2D efforts have focused on Release 17-based NTN support, with chipmakers like MediaTek.

They’re not front-page yet, but they’ve demoed connections from L-band satellites to standard smartphones. For now, they’re betting on global MNO partnerships and slow-burn rollout in IoT-first verticals.

Omnispace + Lockheed Martin

Yes, the defense-industrial complex is here too. Omnispace is building a hybrid LEO-GEO network focused on 3GPP-compliant D2D service, especially for military, maritime, and enterprise.

They partnered with Lockheed, because nothing says “consumer device innovation” like a missile systems provider.

Sateliot

They’re not trying to be the broadband kings but are focused on NTN NB-IoT using standard LTE-M/NB-IoT chips. Sateliot is targeting asset tracking, agriculture, and logistics, claiming to integrate seamlessly into existing MNOs.

If AST is promising high-speed streaming, Sateliot’s offering is more like “I just want my cow sensor to report in once a day.”

Huawei + China’s Satellite Network Group

In the “we’ll just do our own thing” category, China has greenlit NTN trials for smartphone-satellite service via Tiantong and future LEO constellations.

Huawei’s newer flagship phones now support emergency messaging via satellite, and their ambitions are clearly global, if not always fully transparent.

Rakuten Mobile + Skylo

Rakuten, the Japanese MNO, is making moves via both AST and local D2D firms like Skylo, which specializes in narrowband D2D via geostationary relay.

Skylo’s focus is messaging and telemetry, not broadband, and their tech plays nice with existing chipsets, great for things like connected trucks or fishermen, not binge-watchers.

Honorable Mention: Qualcomm, MediaTek, and the 3GPP Working Groups

No D2D future exists without chipset support.

Qualcomm and MediaTek are embedding NTN support in new 5G chipsets, working closely with 3GPP Releases 17, 18, and 19. If you’re not on their roadmap, you’re building a satellite system that may never actually talk to a phone.

From orbital hype machines to quietly competent IoT players, the D2D/NTN battlefield is crowded and heating up fast. The difference between “trailblazer” and “slideware specialist” will be determined by spectrum access, standardization, regulatory buy-in, and whether your satellites can handle more than a hello text without catching fire.

News that didn’t reach us over D2D

GovSat‑2: Because Europe Needs Another Expensive Toy in Orbit

Luxembourg and SES have decided that one military satellite wasn’t enough. Now, they’re launching GovSat‑2. Hardening it, jamming résistant, and geolocation‑enabled, because apparently GovSat‑1 was just begging for hackers.

They’re picking Thales Alenia’s faithful Spacebus 4000B2. Modern? Not exactly. Reliable? Sure. Why innovate when you can re‑dress last decade’s bus?

Luxembourg the space overlord? Maybe not, but they’re certainly punching above their 630 k population.

Funding is “subject to parliamentary approval”, code for “we’ve got € 100 M and a loan ready; debate’s all theater.” SES gets revenue, Luxembourg gets cred, GovSat gets to expand. Jobs? Maybe a few.

Thales Space Division: Profitably Fun(ged) at Last

For years on life support, Thales Alenia Space announced that its TS Space Division is now on track for marginal pretax profit in 2025, after slashing 15% of its satellite division workforce and reorganizing everything else.

That’s right, cost-cutting actually worked. They’re no longer hemorrhaging, and investors are collectively exhaling. That counts as infrastructure news, trust me.

Project Bromo: Europe’s Derailed Alliance Dream in Need of a Kick

France’s industrial minister admitted this week that Project Bromo, the proposed joint aerospace venture from Airbus, Thales, and Leonardo, has been moving at glacial speed.

They expect a status update by the end of July, but so far it’s mostly talk, table-setting, and “constructive” pre-feasibility paperwork. Europe wants to build a Starlink-challenger, eventually. Probably. Maybe after coffee.

ESA Eyes Military‑Grade Satellites With a €1B Bid

ESA is pitching a bold new dual-use Earth observation program, requesting €1 billion to build 15–30 high-res radar/optical satellites with onboard AI and edge processing.

The seeds could grow into a €4–6 billion constellation over a decade. Because apparently, Europe is now worried about not getting elbowed out when NASA budgets shrink. Infrastructure politics have never been so dependent on acronyms..

Final Thoughts: The Backbone Is Back

While the D2D crowd played startup theater and Starlink rebooted itself mid-flight, the real players in space were out there signing contracts, upgrading fleets, and quietly moving policy mountains.

If you’re looking for where the actual strategic advantage lies, it’s here. In the boring, essential, and terrifyingly expensive plumbing of the orbital world.

So no, it’s not sexy. But when the constellations crash, the cloud goes dark, or your phone’s SOS ping can’t connect, these are the satellites that are still up there, still working, still doing the job.

And if nothing else, you can take comfort knowing that somewhere, deep in a classified ground station in Spain, a 12k SAR image of your fishing boat is being quietly stored for later. Just in case.