Mobile World Congress

A scale model of the Starlink V2 (Gen 2) satellite is on display at the T-Mobile (Deutsche Telekom) exhibition booth during the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, on March 5, 2026. The mockup represents the next-generation low-Earth orbit (LEO) spacecraft designed for Direct-to-Cell connectivity, featuring massive phased array antennas and custom-designed silicon. This hardware allows unmodified 5G smartphones, powered by modems like the Qualcomm Snapdragon X80 or the Snapdragon X105 NTN, to connect directly to the satellite network for text, voice, and data services. The Starlink V2 satellites used in the T-Mobile partnership integrate eNodeB technology in space, effectively acting as cell towers in orbit to eliminate coverage ''dead zones'' across Europe and the US. The model highlights the deployable solar arrays and the advanced radio frequency (RF) system designed to support high-density traffic and emergency 5G-Advanced services. (Photo by Joan Cros/NurPhoto via Getty Images)