SpaceX to Acquire T-Mobile's 800 MHz Spectrum Licenses for Starlink Mobile Expansion
Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX) has reached an agreement to acquire a nationwide portfolio of low-band 800 MHz spectrum licenses from Grain Management, LLC. These licenses, originally sold by T-Mobile US, Inc. in August 2026, will be used to enhance SpaceX's Starlink Mobile service by providing better signal penetration through buildings and obstacles. The acquisition follows FCC approval for SpaceX's next-generation Starlink Mobile Gen2 constellation, which aims to launch 15,000 satellites optimized for the 2 GHz spectrum. While T-Mobile received $3.6 billion in total consideration for these licenses earlier this year, it retains a 50% share of future proceeds from Grain's monetization of the assets. The transaction is expected to close in the first half of 2027.
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Topics: FCC Approval Satellite Communications Spectrum Acquisition Telecommunications