SpaceX agrees to buy nationwide 800 MHz spectrum to strengthen Starlink Mobile
SpaceX says it has agreed to acquire up to 14 MHz of paired low-band spectrum in the 800 MHz band across the US, which it says will help Starlink Mobile signals reach inside buildings.
SpaceX announced an agreement to acquire a nationwide portfolio of low-band spectrum licenses covering up to 14 megahertz of paired spectrum in the 800 MHz band, in an October 8 update.
The company says the low-band spectrum fills one of the key remaining technical gaps for Starlink Mobile to become a major US mobile carrier, providing a coverage layer that can reach devices inside buildings, and that most existing phones already support the band.
SpaceX says that, once it receives final FCC approval, Starlink Mobile will combine its satellite-to-mobile constellation with a terrestrial network. The same update noted the FCC's approval that week of the 15,000-satellite Starlink Mobile Gen2 constellation.