Tens of thousands of American cell sites are scheduled to join Starlink’s satellite network, with deployment beginning in 2027. SpaceX has selected Qualcomm to supply the terrestrial 5G equipment under a multi-year agreement.
The intriguing part is what happens on an ordinary phone. It could connect to a ground station where one is available and switch to a direct-to-cell satellite elsewhere, without requiring a Starlink dish.
Michael Nicolls, SpaceX’s senior vice president of Starlink, described the aim as “the first fully-integrated nationwide satellite and terrestrial network that will keep people connected no matter where they are.”
How the ground network works
Qualcomm will provide Dragonwing QRU100 radio units, QDU100 baseband units and commercial-grade Layer 1 software. Together they form the equipment that receives and transmits phone signals and processes that traffic at each base station.
The radios use massive MIMO with 64 transmit and 64 receive paths, or 64T64R. Those numerous paths let a station direct signals toward individual users and extract more capacity from SpaceX’s spectrum. Qualcomm says power-efficient processing is also central to deploying the equipment at national scale.
On the handset side, Qualcomm’s X105 is its first modem supporting Release 19, the standard used by Starlink Mobile’s satellite 5G. It is expected in future phones using chips such as Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6.
Durga Malladi, Qualcomm’s executive vice president and general manager of technology planning, edge solutions and data center, called the collaboration its “biggest 5G deal yet.” He said it also offers an opportunity to “lay the foundation” for AI-native 6G.
A carrier rather than only a dish service
SpaceX began launching Starlink satellites in 2019. By October 2026 the constellation contained approximately 11,150 satellites, representing approximately 75% of all active maneuverable satellites orbiting Earth.
Starlink had 13.6 million consumer subscribers as of September 30, 2026, across approximately 160 countries and territories. Its conventional service requires a terminal communicating with satellites and ground gateways linked to terrestrial internet infrastructure.
SpaceX estimated in May 2018 that designing, building and deploying the constellation would cost at least US$10 billion. By the end of 2025, Starlink was its largest business segment, producing $11.4 billion in revenue and $4.4 billion in operating income. The Connectivity segment reported $5.25 billion in revenue and $2.37 billion in operating income in the third quarter of 2026.
A terrestrial network gives SpaceX a different way to reach mobile subscribers. It has acquired spectrum and has reportedly explored buying Boost Mobile. Rather than resell another carrier’s service, Starlink Mobile would operate its own base stations.
T-Mobile’s chief executive recently said there was “no room for a SpaceX MVNO,” referring to a mobile virtual network operator. The Qualcomm arrangement points toward a facilities-based competitor to T-Mobile, AT&T and Verizon instead.
Building begins next year
The agreement calls for tens of thousands of sites over several years. Qualcomm announced the selection in San Diego on November 04, 2026.
SpaceX has continued expanding the space side of the system. A Falcon 9 launched another 27 Starlink satellites on Oct. 31, the 118th Falcon 9 flight of 2026. More than 70% of those missions have supported Starlink.
The first terrestrial deployments are planned for 2027, when the satellite and ground components can begin operating as one Starlink Mobile network.
Sources
- Starlink
- Happy Halloween! SpaceX launches 27 Starlink satellites to orbit from California (video)
- SpaceX is working with Qualcomm to build its Starlink Mobile 5G network
- AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon Just Got a Lot More Competition
- German police arrest Turkish man suspected of organizing arson attack on Starlink station in Poland
- SpaceX Selects Qualcomm to Accelerate Starlink Mobile’s Nationwide 5G Network
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