SpaceX strikes spectrum deal, paving way for Starlink to become major US mobile carrier

Says communications authority also approved 15,000 next-generation satellites to deliver service

SpaceX announced on Thursday an agreement to acquire nationwide low-band spectrum licenses, advancing plans to turn Starlink Mobile into a major US mobile carrier through a network combining satellite and terrestrial services.

The agreement covers up to 14 megahertz of paired spectrum in the 800 MHz band, the company said in a statement. The acquisition remains subject to final Federal Communications Commission (FCC) approval.

SpaceX said the spectrum would address a key technical gap by allowing signals to penetrate obstacles such as walls, helping provide coverage inside buildings. Most existing mobile devices already support the band, it added.

We announced an agreement to acquire a nationwide low-band spectrum license portfolio that will pave the way for @Starlink to become a major mobile carrier in the US.

With this new spectrum and our Gen2 constellation, Starlink Mobile can ensure Americans have access to… pic.twitter.com/uVktZ0g3tu

— SpaceX (@SpaceX) October 8, 2026

The low-band frequencies would complement Starlink Mobile's global 2 GHz mid-band spectrum, which the company plans to use for high-bandwidth capacity in the US.

Once regulatory approval is secured, SpaceX plans to combine its satellite-to-mobile constellation with terrestrial infrastructure to provide connectivity indoors, outdoors and in areas without cellular coverage.

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Separately, SpaceX said the FCC this week approved its next-generation Starlink Mobile constellation application, authorising the launch of 15,000 satellites optimised for global operations using 2 GHz spectrum.

The company said its V2 Starlink Mobile satellites would deliver more than 100 times the bandwidth of the current generation, supporting high-speed connections directly to unmodified mobile devices.

The FCC also authorised additional communications bands that would allow the satellites to use Starlink's existing ground gateway network, according to SpaceX.