SpaceX has chosen Qualcomm Technologies to supply technology for Starlink Mobile’s planned U.S. terrestrial 5G network, with deployment expected to begin in 2027 and tens of thousands of sites planned under a multiyear agreement.

The network will start with 5G and is designed to evolve toward 6G, using 2 GHz Massive MIMO radios with 64 transmit and 64 receive paths to improve coverage, capacity and spectrum efficiency.

Rolled out in phases across multiple frequency bands, the terrestrial network is meant to complement Starlink’s satellite service and improve connection reliability, though nationwide coverage will not arrive immediately.

Qualcomm says its platforms will handle radio functions and latency-sensitive Layer 1 processing, with greater energy efficiency intended to reduce the cost of scaling the network.

Starlink senior vice president Michael Nicolls said Qualcomm’s technology would accelerate the company’s base-station work, while Elon Musk praised the technology and said the network would eventually provide good signal everywhere.

The partnership follows SpaceX’s October 2026 agreement to acquire Grain Management’s nationwide U.S. 800 MHz spectrum portfolio, a transaction that requires Federal Communications Commission approval and other closing conditions.

SpaceX has described the 800 MHz licenses as a low-band layer that can improve indoor and obstacle penetration, while its global 2 GHz mid-band spectrum is intended to provide high-bandwidth capacity in the United States.

Telecoms analyst Tim Farrar said the Qualcomm partnership matters, but obtaining spectrum and tower leases will be even more important; SpaceX has not named tower partners or said how many new sites it will need.

The Washington Post reported that SpaceX was in talks with EchoStar about operating a carrier through Boost Mobile after AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon reportedly declined to provide capacity through an MVNO arrangement; the terms and outcome remain undisclosed.

A terrestrial network could help Starlink become a nationwide mobile provider without relying on Verizon, AT&T or T-Mobile, but analysts say it has substantial work ahead before it can serve paying customers and compete effectively.

Challenges include Starlink’s comparatively limited spectrum holdings, some of which are uplink-only, regulatory hurdles and the performance limits of current direct-to-device texting; the companies have also published no independent network-performance results.

The companies have not disclosed the deal’s financial terms, and the substantial investment required makes immediate nationwide service unlikely; SpaceX’s spending on a 5G rollout would add to its existing commitments to AI and Starship.