SpaceX to buy up to 14 MHz of low-band 800 MHz spectrum for Starlink Mobile

SpaceX will buy up to 14 MHz of nationwide low-band 800 MHz spectrum from investment firm Grain Management, which purchased the rights from T-Mobile earlier this year. The FCC’s July 2026 order notes the licenses cover “approximately 100 percent of the US population,” with bandwidth ranging from 4.85 MHz to 14 MHz by county, and can be used for terrestrial service, satellite-to-mobile service, or both. Source

SpaceX said the low-band spectrum “addresses one of the key remaining technical gaps” for Starlink Mobile. It added that the new low-band spectrum will provide a coverage layer that ensures the signal penetrates obstacles such as walls and can serve devices inside buildings, noting that most existing mobile devices already support the band. This purchase follows the FCC’s May 2026 approval of SpaceX’s $17 billion acquisition of 65 MHz of nationwide mid-band spectrum from EchoStar. The FCC also cleared SpaceX to launch 15,000 additional satellites for an upgraded mobile service that the company describes as “far more powerful” than the current offering.

The Rural Wireless Association opposed EchoStar’s spectrum sales to AT&T and SpaceX, saying the deals “continue the troubling pattern of spectrum aggregation that disadvantages rural wireless providers.” With the big three carriers already holding the majority of roughly 1.1 GHz of licensed mobile spectrum in the United States, the association warned the aggregation could limit competition in underserved areas.