SpaceX plans to expand Starlink with an 800-megahertz spectrum purchase

SpaceX has agreed to buy 800 megahertz of mobile spectrum from investment firm Grain Management for its Starlink service.

The deal still needs approval from the US communications regulator, the FCC.

Starlink already uses a global 2-gigahertz spectrum band, but its satellite signals have not been strong enough to guarantee phone connections inside buildings.

The new frequencies are intended to help Starlink expand from filling mobile coverage gaps to competing more directly with established phone companies.

SpaceX says future satellite technology could let smartphones connect more directly to its network, though the sources give no launch date for that service.

Starlink had more than 10 million customers at the end of March, and the proposed purchase unsettled investors worried about a price fight in the US mobile market.

In Germany, Telekom plans to work with Starlink to cover gaps in its own mobile network from 2028.