On Thursday, 17 September 2026, the FCC granted SpaceX International the Section 214 authority for Starlink Mobile traffic between the United States and other countries.
The ruling allows SpaceX to operate as a U.S. international common carrier. With this authorization, SpaceX can carry Starlink Mobile traffic to and from foreign points when those communications involve the United States, subject to the scope of its FCC authority.
This authority only opens up the door for SpaceX to become a cellular carrier for communications into and outside the United States, and for now, no particular details have been provided on any foreign cellular licensing, consumer pricing, or even any commercial launch windows.
Inside SpaceX’s Section 214 Authorization
The grant appears in FCC Public Notice DA 26-998 (Report No. TEL-02683), under file ITC-214-20260123-00021 and authorization T260050.
Same-day amendments ITC-AMD-20260721-00210 and ITC-AMD-20260821-00252 were also granted under the same authorization. The notice states that it serves as each newly authorized carrier’s Section 214 certificate.
In practical terms, SpaceX received both facilities-based and resale-based international common carrier authority for the Starlink Mobile traffic covered by the filing.
The facilities-based authority, granted under 47 CFR § 63.18(e)(1), allows SpaceX to provide international service using its own facilities. The global resale authority under § 63.18(e)(2) also allows SpaceX to offer international service using capacity obtained from other carriers.
Another Step Toward International Expansion
As SpaceX expands its carrier partnerships and demonstrates Starlink Mobile abroad, U.S. international-carrier authority provides another regulatory step toward supporting international telecom traffic involving the United States.
The grant gives SpaceX authorization to provide covered international services in its own capacity as a U.S. carrier, rather than relying solely on local telecom partners to provide service. However, it does not replace the local licenses and regulatory approvals required to operate in other countries.
SpaceX has not released an official statement regarding the FCC authorization. The grant also does not confirm an independent Starlink Mobile launch in any foreign market. Any such launch would depend on additional regulatory approvals, commercial arrangements, and SpaceX’s own rollout plans.
