SpaceX announces plan to become a ‘major mobile carrier’

SpaceX 宣布计划成为“主要移动运营商”

SpaceX snapped up low-band spectrum in a bid to take on T-Mobile, AT&T, and Verizon.

SpaceX 抢购了低频段频谱，旨在与 T-Mobile、AT&T 和 Verizon 展开竞争。

SpaceX has acquired a portfolio of low-band spectrum licenses — a move the company says “will pave the way” for its Starlink Mobile service to become a “major” US carrier. When the Federal Communications Commission signs off on the deal, SpaceX says it will deploy its new architecture that combines its satellite-to-mobile constellation with a terrestrial mobile network, directly competing with T-Mobile, AT&T, and Verizon.

SpaceX 已经收购了一系列低频段频谱许可证——该公司称此举将为其 Starlink Mobile 服务成为美国“主要”运营商“铺平道路”。SpaceX 表示，一旦联邦通信委员会（FCC）批准该交易，它将部署一种结合了卫星到移动通信星座与地面移动网络的新架构，直接与 T-Mobile、AT&T 和 Verizon 竞争。

The licenses include up to 14 megahertz of paired spectrum in the 800 MHz band, which SpaceX says will allow Starlink Mobile’s signal to penetrate through walls and buildings. SpaceX previously acquired 2GHz spectrum from EchoStar as part of efforts to bolster its direct-to-device service.

这些许可证包括 800 MHz 频段内高达 14 兆赫兹的配对频谱，SpaceX 称这将使 Starlink Mobile 的信号能够穿透墙壁和建筑物。此前，SpaceX 已从 EchoStar 收购了 2GHz 频谱，作为其加强直接到设备（direct-to-device）服务努力的一部分。

The FCC has also approved plans to deploy 15,000 V2 Starlink Mobile satellites that will offer more than 100 times the bandwidth than the current generation, according to SpaceX. “With this new low-band spectrum and our Gen2 constellation, Starlink Mobile can now become the first network operator to deploy both satellite and terrestrial spectrum,” SpaceX says. “One network that provides Americans with a reliable service indoors, outdoors, in cellular dead zones, and everywhere in between.”

据 SpaceX 称，FCC 还批准了部署 15,000 颗 V2 Starlink Mobile 卫星的计划，这些卫星将提供比当前一代高出 100 倍以上的带宽。SpaceX 表示：“凭借这种新的低频段频谱和我们的第二代星座，Starlink Mobile 现在可以成为第一个同时部署卫星和地面频谱的网络运营商。这是一个能为美国人在室内、室外、蜂窝网络盲区以及两者之间的任何地方提供可靠服务的网络。”