SpaceX buys 800MHz spectrum to turn Starlink Mobile into a carrier

SpaceX is acquiring an 800MHz spectrum license portfolio to expand Starlink Mobile and compete with AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile in the U.S. carrier market.

The company said the spectrum addresses one of the project’s remaining technical gaps. Most current smartphones already support the 800MHz band.

FCC approves 15,000 satellites

The U.S. Federal Communications Commission approved Starlink Mobile Gen2, allowing SpaceX to launch 15,000 satellites optimized for 2GHz spectrum worldwide. SpaceX says the satellites will provide more than 100 times the bandwidth of the current generation.

The FCC also granted SpaceX a waiver allowing it to provide wireless service through satellites without a spectrum-leasing agreement with a terrestrial carrier.

Satellite and terrestrial connectivity

After final approval of the spectrum purchase, SpaceX plans to combine its satellites with terrestrial infrastructure. The company says 2GHz spectrum will provide high-bandwidth capacity in the U.S., while 800MHz spectrum will help signals pass through obstacles such as walls.

SpaceX describes the plan as the first deployment by a network operator combining satellite and terrestrial spectrum in one network. It says the service is intended to work indoors, outdoors and in cellular dead zones.

Starlink already powers T-Mobile feature

SpaceX already powers a satellite feature for T-Mobile. T-Mobile recently removed SpaceX branding from its website after completing a joint satellite venture with AT&T and Verizon.

The Starlink Mobile announcement was followed by declines in shares of AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile. Verizon recorded its worst one-day drop since 2002.