On November 4, 2026, Qualcomm announced that SpaceX has adopted its base station products and software for the US terrestrial 5G network that will support the satellite service "Starlink Mobile." SpaceX plans to roll out a network that integrates satellite and terrestrial communications across the United States. It will begin deploying base stations in 2027 and install them at tens of thousands of sites over several years.
The announcement clarifies the base station processing platform for SpaceX's planned integrated satellite-terrestrial network, along with a concrete deployment schedule. However, 2027 marks only the start of deployment, not the completion of a nationwide network. Delivering a service to users will require not only building out base stations but also developing higher-layer software and integrating the network as a whole.
Terrestrial 5G Network to Roll Out in the US From 2027
SpaceX has adopted Qualcomm's Dragonwing QRU100 and Dragonwing QDU100 base station products, along with commercial Layer 1 software. The announcement concerns a new terrestrial 5G network to be built in the US, not an overhaul of the existing Starlink satellite network as a whole.
In Qualcomm's announcement, Michael Nicolls, Senior Vice President at Starlink, explained that the company is building a nationwide network that integrates satellite and terrestrial infrastructure. He said the technology will help accelerate development of the overall base station architecture.
According to the view of Madden, as presented by Axios, the deal signals that SpaceX is getting serious about building conventional high-power terrestrial infrastructure as well. The scale of deployment, tens of thousands of sites, also reflects how large the plan is. But the rollout is planned to span several years, so not all base stations will be finished in 2027.
Qualcomm Handles the Physical Layer; SpaceX Develops Higher-Layer Software
Qualcomm's products play distinct roles within a base station. The QRU100 handles radio unit processing, while the QDU100 handles Layer 1 (physical layer) processing, which requires low latency. The physical layer is the foundation for transmitting and receiving radio signals, and software responsible for data transmission control and network management sits above it.
Regarding the higher-layer software, Light Reading, citing an explanation by Qualcomm's Malladi at a press briefing, reported that SpaceX will develop additional software spanning Layers 2 and 3 through the core network. Putting this information together, the division of responsibilities and the progress that can be confirmed at this point are as follows.
| Area / Stage | Responsible party | Status confirmed so far |
|---|---|---|
| Radio unit processing | Qualcomm Dragonwing QRU100 | Adoption and role announced by Qualcomm |
| Physical layer processing | Qualcomm Dragonwing QDU100, commercial Layer 1 software | Adoption and support for low-latency processing announced |
| Higher-layer software and core network | SpaceX to develop additional software from Layers 2 and 3 through the core | Reported by Light Reading based on Malladi's explanation. Completion status of development and integration unknown |
| Base station deployment and consumer service | SpaceX's US terrestrial 5G network | Deployment to begin in 2027, with tens of thousands of sites planned over several years. Nationwide completion date and commercial launch date not announced |
Although the deal has firmed up the radio processing foundation for the base stations, development of the higher-layer software and integration of the overall network have not been completed. To actually deliver service, the software for each layer must be combined so that everything from the base stations to the core network operates as one system.
64T64R Massive MIMO to Improve Capacity and Spectral Efficiency
Starlink Mobile's terrestrial 5G network will use Massive MIMO radio units supporting "64T64R," meaning 64 transmit and 64 receive paths. Massive MIMO uses many antenna paths to control radio transmission and reception, helping to improve communication capacity and spectral efficiency. Note that the number 64 refers to the number of transmit and receive paths, not a multiplier for the number of devices that can connect simultaneously or for communication speed.
According to Qualcomm, this configuration aims to expand coverage, increase capacity, and improve spectral efficiency. Spectral efficiency is a measure of how much data can be carried in a given amount of spectrum. Qualcomm also says it aims to improve processing performance per watt of power consumption in the QRU100 and QDU100. However, no measured performance improvement or power reduction figures have been published, so it is not yet possible to concretely assess the speeds or quality users will get.
According to Light Reading, Malladi explained that the deal targets macro cell networks covering wide areas, not small cells. He added that the 64T64R configuration will be used even in the relatively low 2GHz band. This is a design that uses many antenna paths even in a terrestrial network for wide-area coverage, aiming to improve capacity and spectral efficiency.
The Focus Shifts From Base Station Deployment to Actual Service
The key question going forward is how much of the country the base station deployment starting in 2027 will turn into usable service. Once details emerge on how well Qualcomm's products integrate with the higher-layer software SpaceX is developing, as well as where base stations are installed, how the network is operating, and the terms of use, it will be possible to evaluate progress on the nationwide rollout more concretely.
Qualcomm also mentions that the technology could become a foundation for future AI-enabled 6G networks, but what is currently planned is the rollout of a terrestrial 5G network. When and where will this large-scale plan, covering tens of thousands of sites, turn into usable communications service? From 2027 onward, the progress of base station buildout and of satellite-terrestrial network integration will be key indicators.