SpaceX announces deal to buy up to 14 MHz spectrum
SpaceX just announced a deal to buy up to 14 MHz of paired spectrum in the 800 MHz band, and it's already making waves: stocks for AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile dipped after the news broke on October 8.
The purchase still needs FCC approval, but if it goes through, it could give SpaceX's Starlink internet service a serious boost in the US.
Spectrum lets Starlink challenge carriers
With this new spectrum, SpaceX can finally compete head-to-head with big mobile carriers, filling some key coverage gaps for Starlink.
Meanwhile, those same carriers recently teamed up to improve their own networks and left Starlink out of the mix.
There's also a proposal to auction 25 megahertz of "prime spectrum" that could shake things up even more for SpaceX and rivals like Amazon.
SpaceX is now valued at over $2 trillion, and Starlink had 12 million subscribers as of June 30: no wonder Elon Musk called this move a "very big deal."