SpaceX Agrees to Buy 800 MHz Spectrum for Its U.S. Wireless Push

SpaceX agreed Oct. 8 to buy Grain Management’s nationwide 800 MHz spectrum portfolio, adding as much as 14 MHz of paired low-band spectrum to its effort to combine Starlink satellite service with a terrestrial U.S. mobile network.

The parties have not disclosed a purchase price. The agreement remains subject to Federal Communications Commission (FCC) approval and customary closing conditions, so the portfolio has not transferred to SpaceX. Grain acquired the licenses from T-Mobile in August through a transaction involving $2.9 billion in cash and Grain’s 600 MHz licenses. The FCC approved that assignment exchange on July 1, with terrestrial buildout conditions and a path for direct-to-device use.

SpaceX plans to pair satellite-to-mobile service with a terrestrial network. The 800 MHz band would provide coverage, including inside buildings, while the 2 GHz mid-band spectrum covered by SpaceX’s pending EchoStar deal would provide U.S. capacity. Starlink Mobile currently lists T-Mobile as its U.S. partner; that partner-based service differs from the proposed carrier-scale network.

Walter Piecyk, a partner and analyst at LightShed Partners, said a terrestrial network is necessary for mobile service. “If I’m going to offer mobile service, I need some form of a terrestrial network.”

The Grain agreement is separate from SpaceX’s deal with EchoStar. That package covers 50 MHz of spectrum plus up to 15 MHz of AWS-3 spectrum and has about $20 billion in total consideration, including up to $11 billion payable in SpaceX stock. EchoStar placed the licenses in a trust on May 22, 2026. The final transfer to SpaceX and payment are targeted for Nov. 30, 2027.

AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile shares fell in extended trading after the Grain agreement, a market reaction to the spectrum deal.

Separately, an Oct. 6 FCC order partly approved and partly deferred SpaceX’s application for a distinct direct-to-device constellation of up to 15,000 satellites, subject to conditions. It sets deployment milestones for half the authorized satellites by Oct. 7, 2032, and the full authorized number by Oct. 7, 2035.

SpaceX has not announced a retail launch date or consumer pricing for its proposed carrier service. The Grain purchase remains subject to regulatory approval and closing conditions.