Written edition
SpaceX now holds 800 MHz of spectrum and approval for 15,000 phone satellites
Today's common thread is infrastructure, whether that means airwaves, patent licenses, data centers or the financial plumbing behind stablecoins.
In each case the physical or legal layer underneath a product is becoming the real contest.
SpaceX edges toward becoming a mobile carrier with spectrum and FCC approval
SpaceX has now lined up 800 MHz of spectrum and FCC approval for 15,000 direct-to-cell satellites, which are satellites that act like cell towers in orbit so ordinary phones can connect from almost anywhere. Spectrum means the radio airwaves that phone signals travel over, and it is normally the scarcest and most expensive thing a carrier owns. With both airwaves and permission in hand, the company known for home internet dishes looks increasingly able to sell phone service directly to consumers. That would put it in competition with the large US wireless carriers, and it suggests the contest is about spectrum and distribution more than about coverage maps. The report comes from a single source, so details deserve some caution.
