SpaceX Acquires Low-Band Spectrum, Targets U.S. Wireless Carriers

October 9 — SpaceX (SPCX.O) announced on Thursday that it has reached an agreement to acquire a nationwide portfolio of low-band spectrum licenses, which will enable it to compete directly with traditional wireless communications giants across the entire United States.

While Starlink Mobile's existing global 2 GHz mid-band spectrum will provide high-bandwidth capacity, this new spectrum will allow its signals to penetrate obstacles. The move accelerates Musk's ambition to bypass traditional wireless infrastructure and deliver cellular connectivity directly to smartphones from Earth orbit. The transaction involves acquiring 100% equity of a nationwide 800 MHz spectrum portfolio held by private equity firm Grain Management and still requires regulatory approval from the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

In addition, the FCC this week also approved Starlink Mobile's second-generation satellite constellation application, authorizing SpaceX to launch 15,000 satellites globally optimized for the 2 GHz band.