spectrum - Adjacent

Oct 10

SpaceX Moves to Offer Cellular Service via Starlink Satellites

SpaceX's acquisition of low-band spectrum licenses extends Starlink into direct phone connectivity, bypassing the need for ground-based infrastructure partnerships with terrestrial carriers. Starlink Mobile can undercut AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile on price and coverage in rural areas—where their networks are thinnest and most expensive to maintain. The move also clarifies Starlink's path to profitability: bundled internet-plus-phone services lock users into a full telecom platform rather than a niche connectivity product.

theme-connected infrastructure spectrum satellite

Sep 8

European telecom giants plot satellite challenge to Starlink

Source: The Next Web

Deutsche Telekom, Orange, Vodafone, and Telefónica are exploring a joint bid for European satellite spectrum. The move signals that terrestrial carriers view Starlink as a competitive threat to their core broadband and backhaul revenue, not a potential partner. A pooled consortium could let them deploy a unified rival system without cannibalizing each other's existing markets—something none could achieve alone at SpaceX's scale and speed. The pressure is regulatory. EU authorities want homegrown satellite infrastructure, and a carrier-backed consortium may be the only viable path to secure spectrum and capital without ceding the next decade of connectivity to American players.