Washington DC [US], October 9 (ANI): SpaceX is moving to expand Starlink beyond satellite internet and establish itself as a major mobile carrier in the United States through a spectrum acquisition agreement and plans to deploy 15,000 next-generation satellites, according to an official statement by the company.
SpaceX announced an agreement to acquire a nationwide portfolio of low-band spectrum licences covering up to 14 megahertz of paired spectrum in the 800 MHz band.
The company said the spectrum would help address a key technical gap and improve Starlink Mobile’s coverage across the US.
In a social media post, the company said: “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”.
The acquisition agreement is subject to final approval from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).
According to SpaceX, the new spectrum will work alongside its existing 2 GHz mid-band spectrum and satellite network to provide mobile connectivity across cities, rural areas and locations with limited cellular coverage.
The company said low-band spectrum would help mobile signals pass through obstacles such as walls, allowing devices to receive services even inside buildings. It also noted that most existing mobile devices already support the 800 MHz band.
In a separate development, the FCC has approved Starlink Mobile’s Gen2 constellation application, authorising SpaceX to launch 15,000 satellites optimised for 2 GHz spectrum globally.
SpaceX said its next-generation V2 Starlink Mobile satellites would deliver more than 100 times the bandwidth of its current generation and provide high-speed connectivity directly to unmodified devices.
The company said its planned network would combine satellite connectivity with terrestrial infrastructure, allowing users to access mobile services indoors, outdoors and in areas where conventional cellular networks have limited reach.
SpaceX also said the FCC had authorised the full range of backhaul bands used by its V3 broadband satellites, enabling them to operate with the existing Starlink gateway network.
The developments mark a major step in SpaceX’s plans to expand its satellite-based services into mobile connectivity. The company said its goal was to provide reliable connectivity to Americans across densely populated cities and remote communities. (ANI)
Related reading