SpaceX Acquires Low-Band Spectrum, Targets U.S. Wireless Carriers

SpaceX (SPCX.O) announced Thursday that it has reached an agreement to acquire a nationwide low-band spectrum license portfolio, enabling it to directly compete with traditional U.S. wireless telecom giants across the country. While Starlink Mobile’s existing global 2 GHz mid-band spectrum delivers high bandwidth capacity, the new spectrum will allow its signals to penetrate obstacles. This move accelerates Elon Musk’s ambition to bypass traditional wireless infrastructure and provide cellular network connectivity directly to smartphones from Earth orbit. The transaction involves acquiring 100% of the equity in the nationwide 800 MHz spectrum portfolio held by private equity firm Grain Management, and is still subject to regulatory approval from the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Additionally, the FCC this week approved Starlink Mobile’s second-generation satellite constellation application, authorizing SpaceX to launch 15,000 satellites globally optimized for the 2 GHz band.