Qualcomm

Qualcomm just got picked to supply the 5G gear for Starlink Mobile's US ground network. Here's what you need to know. Qualcomm and SpaceX announced an agreement today. Qualcomm will provide its Dragonwing Cellular Infrastructure solutions for Starlink Mobile's nationwide terrestrial base stations in the U.S. Earlier we covered Starlink's airline Wi-Fi growth. This is a different business, a phone network. The deal uses two Qualcomm platforms, plus commercial-grade Layer 1 software. The QRU100 handles processing for Massive MIMO radio units. The QDU100 handles Layer 1 processing. Qualcomm says both are built to improve performance per watt, which helps deployment economics at scale. Starlink Mobile will use Massive MIMO radio units with 64 transmit and 64 receive paths, called 64T64R. They are designed to improve coverage, capacity and spectral efficiency. Qualcomm says the equipment goes onto macro cell sites. Starlink says it is building the first fully integrated US nationwide satellite and terrestrial network, so phones stay connected wherever people are. The ground stations pair with its satellites. Key numbers: - Rollout starts in 2027 - Tens of thousands of sites planned over a multi-year agreement - 64T64R radio units - Financial terms not disclosed Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon said the companies will build cellular infrastructure and a path to AI-native 6G. Analyst Tim Farrar noted this is one part of a mobile network buildout, and asked whether more is coming on towers and spectrum. Mobile Experts analyst Joe Madden estimates the full wireless expansion, including spectrum, could cost at least $100B. QCOM traded around $164 and SPCX around $141 after the news. Qualcomm reports earnings tonight.