SpaceX agrees US spectrum acquisition to expand Starlink Mobile

(SpaceEnergy) US space company SpaceX has agreed to acquire Grain Management's nationwide 800MHz spectrum portfolio to expand its Starlink Mobile satellite-to-phone service, subject to regulatory approval.

The agreement, announced on 8 October, covers up to 14MHz of paired low-band spectrum intended to support a combined satellite and terrestrial mobile communications network across the United States.

SpaceX said the acquisition would address a significant technical limitation affecting its ambitions to compete with established mobile network operators.

The company plans to combine the newly acquired low-band spectrum with its existing 2GHz satellite spectrum, using the lower frequencies to improve coverage inside buildings and other locations where satellite signals encounter obstacles.

Most existing mobile phones already support the 800MHz frequency band, according to SpaceX.

Grain Management confirmed that the agreement covers its entire nationwide 800MHz spectrum portfolio, which it acquired from T-Mobile in August 2026.

The transaction remains subject to approval by the US Federal Communications Commission and other customary closing conditions. Neither company disclosed the transaction's financial terms in its official announcement.

The development is relevant to space-focused investment funds with exposure to SpaceX, including the Seraphim New Space UCITS ETF.

SpaceX represented 9.70% of that fund's holdings on 7 October 2026, according to official fund data.

The agreement represents a material expansion of SpaceX's planned satellite communications business but does not establish that the proposed integrated mobile network is operational.