SpaceX is building a Starlink 5G network with Qualcomm

SpaceX has reached an agreement with Qualcomm for the terrestrial 5G network it plans to establish in the USA. According to Qualcomm's statement dated November 4, 2026, Dragonwing cellular infrastructure chips and software will be used in Starlink Mobile's base stations within the scope of SpaceX Qualcomm cooperation. Additionally, the multi-year agreement covers tens of thousands of base stations, with nationwide installation expected to begin in 2027.

Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon also announced the news on his X account. Accordingly, Amon wrote that, together with Elon Musk and the SpaceX team, they are excited to establish the world's leading cellular infrastructure and prepare the way for artificial intelligence-based 6G. Thus, Starlink is one step closer to going beyond satellite-to-phone connectivity and establishing its own mobile network on the ground.

Therefore, the agreement is also important for SpaceX's goal of becoming the fourth largest mobile operator in the USA. Moreover, just two days ago, it was revealed that the company was in talks with EchoStar to purchase Boost Mobile.

What chips are in the SpaceX Qualcomm deal?

According to Qualcomm's official announcement, SpaceX will use Dragonwing QRU100 and QDU100 platforms, as well as Qualcomm's commercial-grade Layer 1 software. For example, the QRU100 operates on the radio units on the antenna side. QDU100, on the other hand, handles delay-sensitive baseband tasks.

The base stations will feature Massive MIMO radios with 64 transmitter and 64 receiver paths (64T64R). According to Qualcomm, thanks to this structure, coverage area, capacity and spectrum efficiency increases. In addition, higher performance per watt also reduces the cost of installing the grid on a large scale.

Qualcomm executive Durga Malladi told Fierce Network that Massive MIMO technology is generally used in bands of 3.5 GHz and above. On the other hand, SpaceX will operate these radios in the 2 GHz band. Moreover, all of the points to be installed will be classic macro base stations, not small cells.

SpaceX will make the boxes

In addition, the division of labor is also noteworthy. Qualcomm provides the chips and core software, Malladi said. On the other hand, SpaceX itself develops the hardware boxes and upper network layers such as Layer 2 and Layer 3. In other words, SpaceX designs its own base stations without depending on a manufacturer that sells ready-made systems, such as Ericsson or Nokia.

On the other hand, Starlink Senior Vice President Michael Nicolls said that Starlink has established the first fully integrated nationwide satellite and terrestrial network that will keep people connected wherever they are.

Cost and schedule

However, the financial details of the agreement were not disclosed. According to CNBC, Qualcomm describes this project as the largest 5G initiative to date. However, SpaceX has not yet announced which tower companies it will work with and how many new towers it will need.

On the other hand, the cost is expected to be high. Mobile Experts analyst Joe Madden told Axios that he estimates SpaceX will spend at least $100 billion, including spectrum, for its satellite and terrestrial network. Similarly, Malladi noted that the installation will grow "pretty quickly" once it starts in 2027.

Finally, the two companies see this agreement as the first step towards artificial intelligence-based 6G infrastructure. The short-term goal is to activate terrestrial towers in closed areas and crowded cities where satellite connection is difficult. Starlink Mobile already offers its satellite-to-phone service in markets such as Brazil. However, no plan for this network has been announced for Türkiye yet.

Frequently asked questions

When will the Starlink Mobile terrestrial 5G network be opened?

According to Qualcomm, nationwide deployment in the US will begin in 2027. However, the commercial service date has not been announced yet.

What is Qualcomm Dragonwing?

Dragonwing is the brand under which Qualcomm collects its industrial and network infrastructure products. Therefore, this agreement uses base station radio and baseband processors QRU100 and QDU100.