SpaceX To Acquire Grain Management's Nationwide 800 MHz Spectrum Portfolio
October 08, 2026
SpaceX signed a definitive agreement on October 8, 2026, to acquire 100% of Grain Management's nationwide 800 MHz spectrum portfolio to power its Starlink Mobile service.
- The portfolio covers up to 14 MHz of paired low-band spectrum (generally in the 817–824 MHz and 862–869 MHz ranges) that Grain Management had previously acquired from T-Mobile. It covers approximately 100% of the U.S. population, though the exact amount of spectrum varies by county (from roughly 4.85 MHz to 14 MHz).
- Low-band frequencies travel further and better penetrate physical obstacles like building walls, filling a critical technical gap for direct-to-device indoor coverage.
- Musk called the purchase a "very big deal" and "the last critical piece of the spectrum puzzle" needed to build a full mobile network. SpaceX intends to use the spectrum to support Starlink Mobile’s direct-to-device (D2D) services.
- The transaction still requires approval from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).
SpaceX has said this addresses “one of the key remaining technical gaps” and will help pave the way for Starlink Mobile to become a major U.S. mobile carrier. Once approved, it plans a hybrid architecture combining its satellite constellation with a terrestrial deployment (using radios and antennas on towers, rooftops, etc.).
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