Spanish telecom operator MasOrange will trial Starlink’s Direct-to-Cell service under a new agreement with SpaceX, the companies said on Monday.
Spain’s telecoms regulator, the State Secretariat for Telecommunications and Digital Infrastructure, has approved the use of spectrum assigned to MasOrange for Starlink Direct-to-Cell, a technology also referred to as supplemental coverage from space (SCS).
MasOrange said it plans to conduct a technical pilot in the province of Valladolid. The company did not disclose the timing of the trial or which handsets would be supported. During the pilot, users will be able to access data for certain applications as well as messaging services, MasOrange said.
The operator added that Starlink Direct-to-Cell is intended to complement its terrestrial mobile network, particularly in areas with limited coverage such as remote regions, high mountain zones and coastal environments.
“We are very pleased to announce this agreement with Starlink, which reinforces our commitment to innovation and to always offering the best services to our customers through the use of all available technologies,” said Meinrad Spenger.
MasOrange joins a growing list of European operators exploring satellite-to-mobile connectivity. Ukrainian operator Kyivstar rolled out a similar service late last year, while Virgin Media has announced plans for a customer rollout in 2026 in the United Kingdom under the O2 Satellite brand, also enabled by Starlink Direct-to-Cell.
MasOrange is partially owned by Orange, which recently agreed to acquire the remaining 50% stake from Lorca, with the transaction expected to close in the first half of 2026. Orange already offers a satellite-based messaging service through a partnership with Skylo on selected Google Pixel smartphones.
