SpaceX expands Starlink Mobile with spectrum acquisition and Bangladesh agreement

SpaceX reached an agreement on October 8, 2026, to acquire a nationwide 800 MHz low-band spectrum portfolio from investment firm Grain Management, according to SatNews. The acquisition equips the Starlink Mobile division with up to 14 MHz of paired terrestrial airwaves across the United States. In a separate deal, Veon announced that its local subsidiary Banglalink will bring Starlink Mobile service to mobile customers in Bangladesh. [1][2][4][5][6][7][8]

The spectrum purchase gives SpaceX proprietary terrestrial low-band airwaves, SatNews reported. SatNews and eWeek both report that the deal positions SpaceX to transform Starlink Mobile into a standalone wireless carrier. Satellite Today, Via Satellite, GlobeNewswire, TradingView, GuruFocus, and StreetInsider all reported that the Banglalink deal makes Bangladesh the first country in South Asia to introduce the direct satellite service. [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8]

As FTMQ Space reported earlier, the low-band terrestrial spectrum will allow SpaceX to deliver direct indoor cellular coverage to unmodified smartphones. The previous report noted that SpaceX announced the spectrum acquisition to build out its satellite-to-cell infrastructure alongside international commercial partnerships. [9]

The acquisition enables Starlink Mobile to shift from acting strictly as a supplemental satellite partner for established terrestrial network operators into a standalone facilities-based wireless operator, according to SatNews. The new network architecture aims to deliver direct mobile connectivity in the United States and international markets. [2]