SpaceX and Qualcomm Partner for US Terrestrial 5G Network
SpaceX and Qualcomm signed a multiyear agreement to build a nationwide terrestrial wireless network in the United States starting in 2027.
Space Exploration Technologies Corp. and Qualcomm Inc. have signed a multiyear agreement to build a nationwide terrestrial wireless network in the United States. Starting in 2027, the network will utilize tens of thousands of macro cell sites to enable calls and data, signaling an intent to compete with established U.S. mobile industry leaders.
Under the deal, Qualcomm will supply Dragonwing QRU100 radio units, QDU100 distributed units, and Layer 1 software. While Qualcomm provides the internal components and physical-layer signal processing, SpaceX will build the base stations and core network. The deployment uses 64T64R Massive MIMO at 2 GHz to maximize capacity from mid-band spectrum acquired from EchoStar.
This strategy represents a shift from previous suggestions by Elon Musk to use small base stations and rooftop dishes, moving instead toward traditional high-powered infrastructure. To complement the terrestrial build, SpaceX has received approval for 15,000 next-generation direct-to-device satellites and is seeking further low-band spectrum approval from the Federal Communications Commission.
