Qualcomm will supply chips and software for the ground-based cellular sites supporting SpaceX’s planned Starlink Mobile network.
- SpaceX expects to begin building out the nationwide network in 2027.
- The base stations will use Qualcomm’s Dragonwing platforms and Massive MIMO technology.
- The partnership follows SpaceX’s $17 billion agreement to acquire wireless spectrum from EchoStar, which received FCC approval in May.
Qualcomm (QCOM) announced on Wednesday that it will team up with Elon Musk’s SpaceX (SPCX) to help build Starlink’s new national cellular network.
“Building a nationwide network demands high performance and power efficiency at every site,” said Durga Malladi, an executive vice president at Qualcomm. He said the deal could also “lay the foundation for AI-native 6G in the years ahead.”
QCOM stock gained around 2% in the morning trade and was among the top-trending tickers on Stocktwits at the time of writing. Retail sentiment around the shares remained in ‘bearish’ territory over the past day, accompanied by ‘normal’ levels of chatter.
Meanwhile, SPCX stock was down 4%, paring losses after hitting an over two-month low at market open. Retail sentiment around the shares shifted to ‘neutral’ from ‘bearish’ territory over the past day, and chatter rose to ‘normal’ from ‘low’ levels. It was also among the top trending tickers on Stocktwits at the time of writing.
The weakness in SpaceX also comes alongside retail traders questioning Musk’s political spending amid the midterms.
Qualcomm To Supply Chips, Software For Starlink Mobile
The planned network, called Starlink Mobile, will use cell sites on the ground alongside SpaceX’s Starlink satellites. SpaceX plans to start building it out across the country in 2027, with tens of thousands of sites over a multi-year agreement. The companies did not disclose financial terms.
Qualcomm will provide the chips and software that run the cell sites, known as base stations. Its Dragonwing QRU100 platform runs the radio units that send and receive signals. Its QDU100 platform handles the processing that turns data into those signals.
The sites will use a technology called Massive MIMO, with 64 antennas sending and 64 receiving signals at each unit. Using more antennas lets a site serve more phones at once and send signals more precisely, so the network can carry more traffic on the same airwaves.
Qualcomm said its chips are designed to use less power per unit of performance.
SpaceX Builds Toward Its Own US Mobile Network
SpaceX agreed in September 2025 to buy wireless spectrum, the airwaves that carry mobile signals, from EchoStar (SATS) for about $17 billion in cash and stock. The Federal Communications Commission approved the transaction in May, with the licenses expected to transfer fully to SpaceX by November 2027. The spectrum will give SpaceX additional capacity to support its planned mobile service.
SpaceX laid out the plan on its third-quarter earnings call last month. “We will be building out our terrestrial network,” Musk said. President Gwynne Shotwell said Starlink Mobile is set to “become a major mobile carrier in the U.S.,” with service set to begin in early 2028. The company has not announced pricing.
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