SpaceX Selects Qualcomm for Starlink Mobile 5G Network

Qualcomm says SpaceX has selected its Dragonwing platforms and software for the terrestrial 5G network planned for Starlink Mobile, with a nationwide U.S. rollout expected to begin in 2027. The multiyear agreement covers tens of thousands of sites, according to Qualcomm, which announced the selection on Wednesday, November 4. Qualcomm will supply its Dragonwing QRU100 radio platform, QDU100 processing platform and Layer 1 software for the network’s base stations. The planned system will use Massive MIMO radios with 64 transmit and 64 receive paths. Qualcomm says the architecture is intended to improve coverage, capacity and spectral efficiency. The agreement gives SpaceX a technology supplier for its planned ground-based network, which is intended to complement Starlink’s satellite service. Starlink senior vice president Michael Nicolls said the collaboration would help SpaceX accelerate development of its end-to-end base-station architecture. Qualcomm executive Durga Malladi said the network would use large cell towers rather than small cells. SpaceX is expected to build Layer 2 and Layer 3 software, extending from Qualcomm’s Layer 1 foundation toward the core network,...