Starlink and Skylo Technologies Named Leaders in ABI Research’s D2C Satellite Service Providers Competitive Ranking, with Elveo Mobile Claiming the Innovation Crown

Global technology intelligence firm ABI Research has named Starlink and Skylo Technologies the Leaders in its D2C Satellite Service Providers competitive ranking. Starlink led the field among seven competitors, while Skylo Technologies ranked second. Both Starlink and Skylo Technologies were also recognized as Top Implementers, while Elveo Mobile claimed the top spot for innovation.

• Starlink's market dominance is underpinned by its robust infrastructure—featuring hundreds of direct-to-cell satellites and over 150 ground stations—alongside valuable spectrum assets and an expanding portfolio of live commercial MNO partnerships. ABI Research estimates that SpaceX’s Starlink Mobile generated US$ 276 million in end-user connection service revenue in 2025.
• Skylo stood out for its robust commercial footprint, live services across numerous countries, and a solid base of D2C subscriptions.
• Elveo Mobile led the innovation category, reflecting its 50-plus MNO partners, 60 Megahertz of priority MSS spectrum, and multi-waveform reconfigurable architecture.
  
  

While established players like Starlink and Skylo dominate market execution and scale today, the innovation landscape is being increasingly shaped by disruptive challengers like Elveo Mobile, according to Rachel Kong, Industry Analyst at ABI Research.

“Elveo is emerging as the dark horse in the D2C satellite service provider ecosystem,” said Kong. “Following the merger of Lynk and Omnispace with major backing from SES, they command a strong network of MNO partnerships and 60 MHz of valuable MSS spectrum, complemented by a multi-orbit, multi-spectrum, and multi-waveform configurable architecture. To top it off, they've just announced a new manufacturing partnership with Apex Space to aggressively scale satellite production."

Other key players shaping the ecosystem with emerging, robust D2C capabilities include Globalstar, Iridium, and AST SpaceMobile. While Globalstar already powers Apple’s ecosystem, and both Iridium and AST SpaceMobile advance toward their upcoming D2C rollouts, recent high-profile M&A activity—notably Amazon’s acquisition of Globalstar and Rocket Lab’s acquisition of Iridium—is set to fundamentally reshape the competitive landscape heading into 2027.

“The D2C ecosystem is a dynamic and rapidly evolving environment,” concluded Kong. “Over the past few months alone, we have witnessed a wave of mergers, acquisitions, and spectrum transactions. This trend will continue to persist as market landscapes and connectivity demands mature. In addition, with the market moving this fast, the next few years will separate the ambitious players from the actual proven networks we rely on.”

These findings are from ABI Research’s D2C Satellite Service Providers Competitive Ranking report, part of the company’s Space Technologies and Innovation research service, which includes research, data, and ABI Insights.