• 4iG plans to launch the first generation of Starlink Mobile in Hungary and Albania, extending coverage where its terrestrial networks are limited or unavailable
  • A later Starlink Mobile V2 service using 2GHz spectrum and 5G NTN is planned for Hungary, Albania, Montenegro and North Macedonia

The fact

4iG Group and SpaceX announced agreements on 2 September covering Starlink Mobile and a separate sovereign satellite communications service. For mobile customers, 4iG plans to introduce the first generation of Starlink Mobile in Hungary and Albania.

The service connects compatible LTE phones directly to Starlink satellites without requiring dedicated satellite equipment. 4iG says it will complement its terrestrial mobile networks in places where coverage is weak or unavailable and provide another connection during temporary network outages.

A later Starlink Mobile V2 service is planned for Hungary, Albania, Montenegro and North Macedonia. SpaceX says that version will use its global 2GHz spectrum rights and support 5G non-terrestrial networking. No launch date has been given for V2, and 4iG says rollout in each market will depend on regulatory, technical and commercial conditions.

The companies are also developing a separate Sovereign Solutions service, scheduled to launch next year.

The assessment

4iG's first task is to fit Starlink into mobile services it already runs. In Hungary and Albania, the practical question is what happens when a customer leaves terrestrial coverage: which phones can connect, whether satellite access is included in existing plans, and who handles the service when something goes wrong.

The later V2 service is a separate rollout rather than a simple extension of the first. It would add Montenegro and North Macedonia, use 2GHz spectrum and move towards 5G NTN. That brings another round of regulatory approvals and network integration, and 4iG has not given a timetable for it. For BTW readers, the first proof will come when customers in Hungary and Albania can use satellite coverage as part of an ordinary mobile service. Only after that will the wider V2 plan become more than a future expansion path.

What to watch

Look for launch dates in Hungary and Albania, supported handsets, pricing and whether satellite access is bundled into existing 4iG plans. The next stage is V2: approvals for the 2GHz service, technical details on 5G NTN integration and firm dates for Montenegro and North Macedoniaonia.