SoftBank Corp. says SoftBank Starlink Direct will work overseas from September 28, 2026, starting in the United States (via T-Mobile USA), Canada (via Rogers), and New Zealand (via One NZ), with the Philippines (via Globe) planned later in autumn 2026. The company frames this as an expansion of its existing satellite-to-smartphone service for SoftBank / eligible Y!mobile / LINEMO customers traveling abroad — SMS/MMS/RCS/international text plus select app data outdoors with a clear sky when terrestrial coverage is unavailable. SoftBank’s own footnotes say voice and emergency calling are not supported. This is roaming onto partner direct-to-cell networks, not proof of a new open Starlink Mobile product for local U.S. or Canadian subscribers, and not broadband-to-phone.
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Quick Take
SoftBank says its Starlink Direct service expands overseas on September 28, 2026, starting in the United States (T-Mobile USA), Canada (Rogers), and New Zealand (One NZ), with the Philippines (Globe) planned later in autumn. SoftBank describes messaging plus select app data for SoftBank / eligible Y!mobile / LINEMO customers outdoors under clear sky when terrestrial coverage is unavailable — and says voice and emergency calling are not supported. Read this as SoftBank roaming onto partner direct-to-cell networks, not as a new open local Starlink phone product for U.S. or Canadian residents.
What SoftBank announced
On September 10, 2026, SoftBank Corp. published a Japanese press release stating that SoftBank Starlink Direct — its satellite-to-smartphone service using Starlink — will expand outside Japan from September 28. The company lists first markets and overseas partners:
| Market | SoftBank’s stated start | Partner named by SoftBank |
|---|---|---|
| United States | Sep 28, 2026 | T-Mobile USA, Inc. |
| Canada | Sep 28, 2026 | Rogers Communications Inc. |
| New Zealand | Sep 28, 2026 | One New Zealand Group Limited |
| Philippines | Autumn 2026 (date TBA on SoftBank’s site) | Globe Telecom, Inc. |
SoftBank says it will expand to additional countries and regions over time, and that details on overseas-compatible devices, OS versions, supported apps, and future markets will be posted on its website as they are finalized.
What the company says customers can do abroad
In SoftBank’s own service list for overseas use, the company includes:
- Text messaging: SMS, MMS (with plan caveats), RCS, and international SMS
- Data communication when using some supported apps
SoftBank’s footnotes are explicit about limits that matter for practical readers:
- Service works in the coverage area only when terrestrial cellular is unavailable and only outdoors with a clear line of sight to the satellite — dense buildings, vehicles, and tree cover can block or degrade service.
- Speeds may be slower than terrestrial networks; handovers can interrupt sessions.
- Voice calls and emergency calling are not available on the satellite path SoftBank describes.
- “World-compatible phone” enrollment (free) is required; iPhones need roaming enabled for overseas use.
- Compatible devices and OS versions can differ by country.
Devices and OS SoftBank named
As of the September 10 release, SoftBank lists:
- iPhone 13 and later, requiring iOS 27.0 or newer (SoftBank notes iOS 27 was scheduled for around September 15, 2026)
- Android: to be announced on SoftBank’s website
That gate alone means “works on your phone abroad” is not automatic — readers need the SoftBank-stated hardware/OS combination for the country they visit.
Pricing SoftBank stated
SoftBank says SoftBank-branded smartphone plans, and specified Y!mobile / LINEMO plans, can use SoftBank Starlink Direct without an extra fee (no application required for those included plans), domestically and overseas. Other Y!mobile / LINEMO plans can add an option SoftBank prices at ¥1,650 per month (tax included, per SoftBank). SoftBank also describes a temporary LINEMO discount window for the option fee through winter 2026 for certain plans. Corporate LINEMO customers are carved out of some of that framing in SoftBank’s notes.
None of that pricing converts this into a local T-Mobile or Rogers retail offer for Canadian or U.S. residents. SoftBank is describing what its subscribers pay under its plans while roaming onto partner capacity.
Claim vs proof: keep the brands separate
Several distinct commercial brands can show up in the same sentence and confuse the story:
- SoftBank Starlink Direct — SoftBank’s product name for SoftBank / Y!mobile / LINEMO customers
- SpaceX Starlink constellation capacity used for direct-to-cell
- T-Mobile / T-Satellite (and related U.S. marketing)
- Rogers Satellite (and related Canadian marketing)
- One NZ and Globe partner deployments SoftBank named for NZ and the Philippines
SoftBank’s press is evidence of SoftBank’s product roadmap and partner list. It is not, by itself, proof that:
- U.S. or Canadian locals suddenly get SoftBank Starlink Direct
- SoftBank has launched a new open Starlink Mobile SKU in those markets
- Messaging-plus-limited-app-data equals broadband-to-phone
- Voice or emergency calling works over the satellite path SoftBank describes
Where English secondary coverage (MyNavi and similar) restates SoftBank’s dates and partners, treat those as corroboration of the press text — not as independent lab tests of coverage quality.
Why this is the Starlink Saturday flagship (and what it is not)
Direct-to-cell / satellite-to-smartphone is the right Saturday franchise. SoftBank’s dated overseas start, named carriers, capability list, and pricing footnotes are enough for a source-first flagship without recycling live Flight 14 or Starlink V3 pad reporting. The editorial job is the hedge: overseas roaming for SoftBank lines onto partner D2C networks, with SoftBank’s stated limits intact.
What would change this story later
Independent verification SoftBank has not provided in the press release would move the needle: measured coverage maps per country, the Android device list, which apps count as “supported,” and whether partner carriers describe SoftBank roamers the same way SoftBank does. Until then, the primary source remains SoftBank’s September 10 announcement.
Bottom Line
SoftBank says SoftBank Starlink Direct starts overseas on September 28, 2026 in the U.S., Canada, and New Zealand (Philippines later in autumn), for SoftBank / eligible Y!mobile / LINEMO customers, with messaging and select app data — not voice, not emergency, not a new open local Starlink phone product. Separate SoftBank’s claims from SpaceX and partner retail branding, and keep the clear-sky / no-terrestrial-coverage caveats in the lede.