SpaceX and Qualcomm announced today that a deal is in place for Qualcomm’s Dragonwing Cellular Infrastructure to help power Starlink Mobile’s terrestrial base stations, providing a high-powered nationwide 5G network.
SpaceX is planning for a US deployment to begin in 2027, with tens of thousands of sites deployed over the course of several years. In layman’s, SpaceX is building a mobile carrier and its reach will undoubtedly rival what you currently see from the likes of Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile.
“Dragonwing Cellular Infrastructure platforms bring together advanced Massive MIMO, purpose-built processing and commercial-grade Layer 1 software to help Starlink deliver an exceptional nationwide network,” said Durga Malladi of Qualcomm in a post detailing the plans. He continued with, “Together with SpaceX, we are building world-leading cellular infrastructure in the United States, advancing 5G today, with an opportunity to lay the foundation for AI-native 6G in the years ahead.”
For many across the US, especially those who don’t live within areas supported by existing towers, this probably sounds like a dream come true. Honestly, we look forward to learning more about it and what will be offered to customers when it’s ready for launch in the US.
// Qualcomm
