SpaceX taps Qualcomm hardware to construct ground-based 5G network across the United States

SpaceX has partnered with Qualcomm to build a nationwide terrestrial 5G network under its Starlink Mobile brand, taking on established US carriers like AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile. Under the multi-year deal, SpaceX plans to begin deploying Qualcomm's Dragonwing infrastructure across tens of thousands of cellular sites starting in 2027. The financial terms of the agreement and consumer pricing have not been disclosed. [3][4]

The ground network will utilize Qualcomm's Dragonwing QRU100 radio processing and QDU100 baseband platforms with commercial Layer 1 software. The system features 64T64R Massive MIMO technology with 64 transmit and 64 receive antenna paths, which Qualcomm claims boosts capacity and coverage while curbing power use. The terrestrial deployment complements SpaceX's push into satellite direct-to-device connectivity, alongside its pending agreement to acquire up to 14 MHz of paired 800 MHz spectrum from Grain Management to help indoor reception. [3]

SpaceX aims to merge ground-based cellular sites with its satellite network, having already received FCC authorization to launch 15,000 next-generation Starlink Mobile satellites. While recent reports indicate SpaceX has explored acquiring Boost Mobile or accessing its network following pushback from major carriers, neither company has shared an exact timeline for when the nationwide service will be fully operational. [3][4]