SpaceX selects Qualcomm Dragonwing for Starlink Mobile 5G

SpaceX has selected Qualcomm Technologies to supply the ground radios for Starlink Mobile's U.S. terrestrial 5G network. Qualcomm says a nationwide rollout is planned to begin in 2027.

Dragonwing platforms will sit in the base stations. The company says SpaceX picked its Dragonwing Cellular Infrastructure platforms, including the QRU100 radio unit and the QDU100 distributed unit, along with commercial-grade Layer 1 software. Those parts are meant to support high-capacity coverage across the United States.

The build is a multi-year plan, not a 2026 launch. SpaceX plans for the U.S. deployment to start in 2027. Qualcomm says tens of thousands of sites are to go in over the multi-year agreement. The release does not state a contract value or any other financial terms.

The radios use a 64-by-64 antenna layout. Starlink Mobile will use Massive MIMO units with 64 transmit paths and 64 receive paths. Qualcomm says the QRU100 handles processing inside those radio units, while the QDU100 handles latency-sensitive Layer 1 work. The companies say the pair is meant to raise performance per watt and to support a multi-band network across several rollout waves.

Both sides described the work as a step past this network. Durga Malladi, an executive vice president at Qualcomm Technologies, said the platforms "bring together advanced Massive MIMO, purpose-built processing and commercial-grade Layer 1 software." Michael Nicolls, senior vice president of Starlink, said the collaboration will "accelerate our timeline to develop our base station end-to-end architecture." The release calls the deal a commercial step toward a shared vision for AI-native 6G infrastructure, and it says this deployment itself is focused on terrestrial 5G.

The announcement leaves the tower plan unnamed. It does not name cell-tower landlords, a band plan, or a first-city date inside 2027. It says the radio and distributed-unit blocks are meant to give Starlink a flexible base for later rollout waves.