SpaceX plans to make Starlink Mobile one of the major mobile operators in the United States.
According to Eitna citing 9to5mac, the company announced two major advances to achieve this goal: assembling a portfolio of low-band spectrum licenses across the U.S. and obtaining approval from the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for the second-generation Starlink Mobile satellite constellation. These developments could pave the way for more direct competition between this service and traditional mobile operators.
The first advance concerns SpaceX’s access to low-band spectrum. This spectrum will sit alongside Starlink Mobile’s 2 GHz mid-band frequencies and could improve network coverage. According to the company, low-band signals have greater ability to penetrate obstacles such as walls and therefore can make indoor connectivity more feasible. The important point is that many current mobile devices support this frequency band.
However, final FCC authorization for full implementation of this plan has not yet been issued. SpaceX expects to receive the necessary approval so it can build a hybrid network of communication satellites and advanced ground infrastructure.
As part of the plan, the FCC has agreed to the deployment of 15,000 second-generation (V2) Starlink Mobile satellites, which are optimized to use the 2 GHz spectrum globally. According to SpaceX, these satellites will provide over 100 times the bandwidth of the current generation and could increase capacity and connection speeds in different parts of the world.
If these plans proceed as expected, Starlink Mobile could become a more serious option for connecting smartphones, including the iPhone. However, its success will not depend solely on satellite coverage; pricing, connection quality, real accessibility in different areas, and terms of service will also play important roles in user adoption.
Overall, SpaceX is seeking to expand its communications services by combining new spectrum, second-generation satellites, and ground infrastructure. It remains unclear when these changes will lead to a wide rollout of mobile service and full competition with U.S. operators.