Qualcomm signs major 5G infrastructure deal with SpaceX for Starlink Mobile network

Qualcomm has signed a multi-year agreement with SpaceX to supply radio equipment, baseband units and software for Starlink Mobile’s planned nationwide terrestrial 5G network, as the Elon Musk-led space company seeks to challenge established US wireless carriers.

The equipment will be deployed across tens of thousands of macro cell sites in the country starting in 2027, Qualcomm said on Wednesday. While the company did not disclose the financial terms of the agreement, it said “this is our biggest 5G deal yet.”