The Moment Starlink Connects to Smartphones: The Unknown Future of the Three Mobile Carriers
Date
Oct 20, 2025
Classification
- Trends/Insights
Analysis suggests that Starlink could pose a threat to domestic mobile carriers. [Photo provided by Starlink]
■ Concern ➌ Smartphone Rate Plan = Starlink plans to launch a 'Direct-to-Cell' service in 2025 that connects to satellites using only the antenna installed in smartphones. This service, first announced in August 2022, aims to support mobile phone messaging communication by the end of this year and enable voice calls and data communication next year.
[Photo | Yonhap News]
Will Elon Musk's Space Internet target the 'turf' of Korea's three major telecom companies?
🫑 3-Line Summary
•
Although Starlink is preparing to enter the Korean market by partnering with the three major domestic mobile carriers, it is creating a potential competitive landscape by announcing a 'Direct to Cell' service that directly connects satellites to smartphones in 2025.
•
Although its current transmission speed is only 10% of 4G, Starlink, which possesses over 7,000 low-orbit satellites—the core infrastructure of the 6G era—is highly likely to become a powerful 'fourth mobile carrier' in the domestic telecommunications market in the long term.
•
The three mobile carriers have come to face an 'uncomfortable cohabitation' situation where they must cooperate with Starlink to cover dead zones while simultaneously securing their own technological competitiveness.
🥦 Insight
•
How to Find a 'Shrimp Opportunity' in a Fight Between Whales
•
Does the tug-of-war between giant telecommunications companies and global tech firms feel like someone else's business? For early-stage entrepreneurs, this change in infrastructure is the signal for a new market.
•
First, 'connectivity blind spots' will disappear. In the world opened up by Starlink and 6G, business models that were impossible with existing communication networks—such as Urban Air Mobility (UAM), maritime logistics, and remote medical care in remote areas—will become a reality. If your idea has been put on hold due to 'communication constraints,' it is time to take it out of the drawer again.
•
Second, take a close look at Starlink's entry strategy. Initially, it partners with existing players (the three major mobile carriers) to lay down infrastructure, but ultimately aims to build its own independent ecosystem (Direct to Cell). The strategy of "entering through collaboration and dominating with technology" serves as an excellent textbook for startups to refer to when entering established markets.
•
When infrastructure changes, the rankings of the players operating on it also change. Just as 5G ushered in the era of video streaming, which services will the satellite communication era bring about their golden age? The person who finds the answer first will become the protagonist of the next unicorn.
— View original —
In the first part of IT Underline's 'Starlink: Partner or Competitor?', we examined the profile of Starlink, which has completed preparations to enter the Korean market. This company, unrivaled in satellite communication technology, is spreading its wings in the domestic market by establishing cooperative relationships with the three major domestic mobile carriers in succession.
The three major mobile carriers are bound to have mixed feelings regarding Starlink. This is because, although Starlink is currently focusing its business on wireless internet, it is clear that it will eventually enter the mobile telecommunications market, which is the core business of the three carriers. In fact, Starlink is preparing technology to directly connect satellite communication to smartphones.
How will the domestic telecommunications market change with the arrival of Starlink? We examined this in Part 2 of 'Starlink: Partner or Competitor?'
Starlink is the company with the largest number of satellites in the world. As of the 3rd, a total of 7,120 Starlink satellites densely surround the Earth. These are called 'Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites,' and because they are launched as close as possible to the Earth, they have faster data transmission speeds and lower latency than conventional satellites.
Starlink has built an infrastructure that enables internet access anywhere in the world through these low-orbit satellites. Not stopping there, they plan to eventually increase the number of low-orbit satellites to 42,000.
Starlink is launching its service in Korea early next year. As mentioned in Part 1 of 'Starlink: Partner or Competitor?', the three major mobile carriers—SK Telecom, KT, and LG Uplus—have all entered into strategic partnerships with Starlink.
In a sense, it has formed a symbiotic relationship with Starlink, but on the other hand, it is understandable that it might feel threatened by Starlink's existence. This is because, although Starlink's main business is currently limited to wireless internet, where demand is relatively low, Starlink is scheduled to launch a smartphone mobile communication service soon.
Want to read the full article? Click!
Please click (touch) the link block below.
Go to the webpage where the article was written.