The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has approved SpaceX's application to deploy 15,000 high-capacity direct-to-device (D2D) satellites.

Approval comes around a year after SpaceX filed plans to operate a constellation of D2D satellites, as Elon Musk's space company pushes to take on the 'Big 3' US mobile carriers via Starlink Mobile.

It means SpaceX has been cleared to deploy and operate these satellites in nine orbital shells, at 326km (202.56 miles) on the low end and 335km (208.15 miles) on the high end. The lower orbit is set to help reduce latency.

Approval for SpaceX comes a few days after AT&T, T-Mobile US, and Verizon formed a D2D satellite-focused spectrum-pooling joint venture (JV).

The company will operate these satellites across various spectrum bands, including those the company acquired from EchoStar. This transaction included AWS-4 (Advanced Wireless Spectrum) and H-block spectrum licenses.

"This action allows SpaceX to improve the quality of D2D services, increase capacity, and advance broadband connectivity for consumers in the United States and worldwide," said the FCC in the order.

Until now, SpaceX has been using just 650 satellites to provide connectivity for the T-Satellite service that it offers with T-Mobile, which makes use of some of T-Mobile's PCS spectrum.

However, SpaceX will now be able to utilize spectrum from its EchoStar acquisition for its 15,000 D2D constellation, without needing to rely on spectrum through existing mobile carriers.

Executives at SpaceX suggest that will enable 5G-like speeds at 150Mbps per user, as opposed to the 4Mbps currently.

"With this action, SpaceX’s planned deployments will reshape spectrum-based connectivity by improving competition, allowing more consumers more choices in more places to further the Commission’s goal to “connect everyone, everywhere to modern communications services," said the FCC.

Following the approval from the FCC, SpaceX has been told it needs to "launch 50 percent of the maximum number of authorized space stations, place them in the assigned orbits, and operate them in accordance with the station authorization no later than October 7, 2032."

The company must complete the deployment of the full 15,000 satellites by no later than October 7, 2035.

In total, the authorization lasts 15 years, "commencing at 3am Eastern Time on the date that the first D2D space station has been placed in its authorized orbit," added the FCC.