Elon Musk Eyes ‘Complete Phone Coverage in America’ as SpaceX Clears Hurdle
Starlink Mobile satellites could eventually improve enough to pass their signals through walls, dense foliage, and hilly terrain.
Elon Musk's SpaceX has secured nationwide 800 MHz low-band spectrum to enhance Starlink Mobile's cellular offerings in the United States. This acquisition, which costs an estimated $8 billion, brings the satellite operator closer to providing comprehensive phone coverage across America. The low-band airwaves allow for better signal propagation, enabling satellite coverage to navigate through physical obstacles like walls, dense foliage, and hilly terrain.
However, the deal is still awaiting approval from the Federal Communications Commission. These low-band frequencies have the potential to eliminate indoor dead zones, allowing for direct-to-device communication, even in areas with limited cellular infrastructure. SpaceX plans to integrate this acquisition with its newly approved fleet of 15,000 next-generation satellites, enabling high-speed service for unmodified devices worldwide.
While this network could present an alternative to AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon Wireless, industry experts caution that the limited amount of spectrum may not be sufficient to compete with traditional wireless carriers, which rely heavily on thousands of cellphone towers for coverage.
Written by urgent.news from CNET's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
