• SpaceX has announced that it's acquired some low-band 800MHz spectrum for Starlink Mobile
• This is ideal for providing coverage indoors, and along with the launch of new satellites, it could pave the way for Starlink Mobile to become a 'major' carrier
• However, it's likely to still need both additional spectrum and significant investment in ground-based infrastructure

Only a week ago, AT&T’s CEO claimed that SpaceX’s Starlink Mobile plans weren’t viable, but perhaps he’ll be rethinking that claim now, as SpaceX has just announced that it's purchased 14Mhz of spectrum in the 800MHz band.

As explained in the company’s announcement, this is an ideal band for helping a signal penetrate obstacles like walls, ensuring that Starlink Mobile’s signal can be delivered inside buildings, and complementing the company’s existing mid-band spectrum, which is high-bandwidth and good for high-speed connections.

SpaceX claims that, as a result, it’s now positioned to build “the world’s most advanced mobile network” and to become “a major mobile carrier in the US,” by deploying this spectrum through a combination of its satellites and “an advanced terrestrial deployment” — meaning masts or other infrastructure on the ground.

Additionally, the FCC (Federal Communications Commission) has also approved Starlink Mobile’s Gen2 constellation application, allowing the company to launch 15,000 new satellites, which can apparently deliver more than 100 times the bandwidth of the current generation, for high-speed mobile service anywhere in the world.

Just the first step

So, this certainly sounds promising for the company, but it’s unlikely to mean the imminent launch of a major mobile service.

As Tim Farrar, an industry expert at TMF Associates, explained to CNBC, “This adds fuel to the fire in the battle between SpaceX and the mobile operators, but it’s still a very limited amount of spectrum, and to get reliable building penetration in urban areas, SpaceX would have to deploy towers on the ground.”

So, it’s likely that SpaceX will need both more spectrum and substantial ground-based infrastructure before the likes of AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon really need to worry. Still, this latest move suggests that SpaceX is serious about its Starlink Mobile ambitions — and that the major carriers might need to start looking to space if they want to remain top dogs in the long run.

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