Yesterday, 12:19 PM by Rich Brome @rbrome.bsky.social
SpaceX announced a deal to buy up to 14 megahertz of paired low-band spectrum that will allow Starlink to “become a major mobile carrier in the United States.” Because this band is lower frequency than the bands currently used by Starlink, it can provide indoor service directly to phones. This capability is also provided via “advanced terrestrial deployment”, meaning land-based cell towers. SpaceX says this particular band is already supported by most existing mobile devices. This is at least the third time that SpaceX has purchased radio spectrum licenses in bands designated for mobile service in the United States. SpaceX’s Starlink already provides satellite coverage for T-Mobile, so this move puts Starlink in competition with its own partner and customer. All three top US mobile carriers recently created a joint venture to collaborate and improve satellite coverage, possibly in anticipation of new competition from SpaceX. 14 MHz is relatively small spectrum, with limited capacity for many customers and/or fast data service. But it can provide reliable coverage for basic connectivity.
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