SpaceX Details Plans for Terrestrial Mobile Network Using EchoStar Spectrum

SpaceX intends to construct a terrestrial mobile network that would compete directly with existing U.S. wireless carriers. Company president Gwynne Shotwell and chief executive Elon Musk described the plans during the question-and-answer portion of the firm’s first earnings call.

Shotwell stated that spectrum acquired from EchoStar includes terrestrial rights. “The spectrum that we purchased from EchoStar does have terrestrial components, so we definitely intend to build out the terrestrial component,” she said. The resulting network would combine satellite capacity with ground-based hardware to deliver mobile service.

SpaceX currently offers a direct-to-device service called Starlink Mobile. The service supplements carrier coverage in areas without terrestrial signals by providing messaging and limited data. Shotwell said performance would improve substantially once the EchoStar bandwidth is integrated and next-generation Starlink Mobile satellites begin operation. Those satellites are scheduled to launch next year.

The company purchased 65 megahertz of spectrum from EchoStar. This amount is smaller than the holdings of the three largest U.S. carriers. Shotwell indicated that additional spectrum acquisitions or alternative deployment methods would be required for nationwide coverage. She mentioned ongoing work on efficient ground-network designs, including the possibility of attaching small cellular base stations to existing Starlink user terminals.

Musk elaborated on the approach. He said the company expects to deploy numerous compact stations rather than traditional large cell towers. These units would function similarly to Starlink dishes while operating in mobile spectrum bands. Because the antennas are typically mounted on rooftops with unobstructed views, they could provide connectivity to mobile devices at ground level. Musk stated that the resulting service could deliver higher bandwidth than current cellular offerings in some locations.

Prior to the earnings call, reports had circulated that SpaceX planned to offer mobile subscriptions directly to consumers. Shotwell confirmed the company’s interest in the U.S. wireless market, which she estimated generates roughly $600 billion in annual revenue. She expressed confidence that SpaceX could attract customers from existing providers by offering improved service quality.

The terrestrial component would operate alongside the satellite-based Starlink Mobile service already in use with partners such as T-Mobile. No specific timeline for commercial launch of the combined network was provided during the call.