SpaceX has signed a multiyear agreement with Qualcomm to supply the core network technology for Starlink Mobile, Elon Musk’s project to compete with Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile. The deployment is scheduled to begin in 2027 and will cover tens of thousands of cellular sites across the United States, using Massive MIMO technology in a 64T64R configuration. Qualcomm will provide the QRU100 radio units and QDU100 distributed units that will form the ground-based base stations. The terrestrial network is intended to complement the capabilities of Starlink satellites and improve mobile service coverage. The financial terms of the agreement have not been disclosed, while SpaceX’s acquisition of 800 MHz spectrum from Grain Management for approximately $8 billion remains pending FCC approval.
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