SpaceX has selected Qualcomm Technologies to supply radio and baseband processing platforms for Starlink Mobile's planned nationwide terrestrial 5G network in the United States. The agreement supports SpaceX's strategy to combine conventional cellular infrastructure with its satellite-to-mobile network, with terrestrial deployment scheduled to begin in 2027.
The network will use Qualcomm's Dragonwing QRU100 and QDU100 cellular infrastructure platforms, alongside commercial-grade Layer 1 software, to support high-capacity 5G base stations. The architecture incorporates Massive MIMO technology with 64 transmit and 64 receive paths (64T64R), enabling more efficient use of radio spectrum and increased network capacity in areas with high traffic demand.
The QRU100 platform will provide processing capabilities for the Massive MIMO radio units, while the QDU100 will handle latency-sensitive physical-layer processing within the distributed baseband architecture. Qualcomm's technology is designed to improve energy efficiency, spectral performance and processing capacity, helping SpaceX manage the operating costs associated with deploying a large terrestrial mobile network.
Under the multi-year agreement, SpaceX plans to deploy tens of thousands of terrestrial base station sites across the United States, beginning in 2027. The infrastructure will support a multi-band 5G network developed over several deployment phases, complementing Starlink's existing satellite connectivity capabilities and potentially allowing traffic to be served through terrestrial or satellite infrastructure according to coverage and capacity requirements.
The announcement goes further towards confirming the expansion of SpaceX's ambitions for Starlink Mobile beyond satellite-based direct-to-device connectivity into conventional mobile network infrastructure. By developing its own terrestrial radio access network, Starlink Mobile aims to create a more integrated service architecture combining the capacity of ground-based 5G with the geographic reach of satellite communications.