SpaceX picks Qualcomm for a ground-based Starlink mobile network

SpaceX has chosen Qualcomm to supply key equipment for the ground-based 5G sites behind its planned Starlink Mobile service in the US. The multiyear build is expected to begin in 2027 and eventually cover tens of thousands of cell sites. This is not simply a satellite-phone project: SpaceX wants phones to move between its satellites and conventional ground infrastructure, using towers to add capacity and improve service where satellite signals are less effective, including indoors. Qualcomm’s role is to provide the radio and processing hardware at those sites, giving SpaceX a major building block for its attempt to become a nationwide mobile provider.