SpaceX $SPCX Buys Nationwide 800MHz Spectrum to Boost US Mobile Int...

SpaceX $SPCX Buys Nationwide 800MHz Spectrum to Boost US Mobile Internet, Expanding Starlink's Network

SpaceX announced it has acquired rights to low-band 800MHz spectrum covering the entire United States, saying the move will make Starlink Mobile a major mobile carrier in the US. This spectrum complements Starlink's existing satellite network — low-frequency bands can penetrate obstacles like building walls, something satellite internet previously struggled with, while also making expansion easier since most phones on the market already support this band.

Separately, SpaceX also recently won FCC approval to launch an additional 15,000 Starlink satellites, to be used with a 2GHz network on next-generation satellites supporting 100x more bandwidth than the current generation.

The announcement sent shares of major US carriers tumbling — Verizon, T-Mobile, and AT&T all fell 9-13% — with analysts suggesting this could mark the start of a major shift in the US mobile network landscape.