SpaceX has selected Qualcomm to supply terrestrial 5G infrastructure for Starlink Mobile as it prepares to challenge Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile in the U.S. wireless market. The multiyear agreement covers tens of thousands of sites, with nationwide deployment scheduled to begin in 2027. Qualcomm will provide Dragonwing QRU100 radio-unit platforms, QDU100 distributed-unit processors and Layer 1 software supporting 64T64R Massive MIMO systems, in which each antenna panel uses 64 transmitters and 64 receivers. SpaceX plans to combine the ground network with Starlink satellites, using terrestrial 5G for capacity and satellites to extend coverage into underserved areas. The initiative follows an earlier $8 billion wireless spectrum deal and reports that SpaceX sought access to 80,000 U.S. cell sites, although Qualcomm’s announcement did not confirm finalized tower agreements. Qualcomm called the contract its largest 5G agreement to date and said it could help establish future AI-native 6G infrastructure. Elon Musk endorsed Qualcomm’s technology on X, while traditional telecom executives have questioned whether satellite providers can overcome regulatory, technological and physical limitations. Qualcomm’s announcement did not disclose financial terms, annual revenue or profit margins.