Space Exploration Technologies Corp. ’s (NASDAQ:QCOM) infrastructure to power its upcoming terrestrial cellular service as it prepares to challenge traditional telecom companies like AT&T Inc.
(NYSE:T), Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) and T-Mobile US Inc.
(NASDAQ:TMUS). S.
nationwide terrestrial 5G network” with the company’s Dragonwing QRU100 and QDU100 5G platforms. Read Also: SpaceX Has 11,000 Satellites in Orbit.
So Why Does Elon Musk Still Need Cell Towers? S.
nationwide deployment rollout to begin in 2027, with tens of thousands of sites deployed over the multi-year agreement,” Qualcomm said. The company says its infrastructure will use a 64T64R architecture, which essentially means the towers will have 64 individual transmitters and receivers in each antenna panel to provide coverage.
The QRU100 provides integrated processing for Massive MIMO radio units, supporting the radio functions behind the 64T64R architecture. The QDU100 handles high-performance, latency-sensitive Layer 1 baseband processing.
“We shouldn’t live in a time where phone calls are still dropping whether you’re at home or on-the-go,” SpaceX’s VP of Starlink Michael Nicolls said in the statement. “Together with SpaceX, we are building world-leading cellular infrastructure in the United States, advancing 5G today, with an opportunity to lay the foundation for AI-native 6G in the years ahead,” Qualcomm Executive Durga Malladi said.
Elon Musk Hails the Deal Following the announcement, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk took to the social media platform X to express his thoughts on the deal. “Qualcomm’s technology is excellent,” Musk said, quoting a post by the chipmaker’s CEO Cristiano R.
Amon on Wednesday. co/CjRNbKK8H3— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 4, 2026 Traditional Telecom Vs.
SpaceX Starlink’s entry into the cellular network space has drawn concern and ire from traditional telecom operators. CEO Musk, late last month, said that Starlink was introducing new pieces in the cell service “chess board” that could “fundamentally alter” the sector.
He had also said that the service will cause an “earthquake” the telecom industry. ” On the other hand, executives from all traditional telecom companies think that satellite providers will not be able to compete with terrestrial networks, due to regulatory hurdles, as well as technological and physical limitations.
52 during overnight trading on Wednesday. Read Also: Elon Musk Will Launch a US Phone Plan?
Crypto Bettors Raise Odds SpaceX Becomes a Mobile Carrier in 2027 Check out more of Benzinga’s Future Of Mobility coverage by following this link.
