SpaceX与AST SpaceMobile据称有意竞购Grain价值约60亿美元的800MHz频谱

SpaceX and AST Spacemobile Inc. are among the companies that have expressed interest in acquiring a swath of spectrum held by Grain Management LLC that’s valuable for providing wireless phone services directly from space, according to people familiar with the discussions.

The 800 MHz-band licenses became available after Grain completed a spectrum swapthis month with T-Mobile US Inc. The terms of that transaction, approved by the Federal Communications Commission, call for Grain to seek bids to develop the spectrum, which has been underutilized, according to the commission’s order. The commission has said it wants the bidding done by Nov. 5.

Grain, a Washington-based technology and communications investment firm, has asked interested parties to submit preliminary offers by the first week of September, some of the people said, asking to not be identified because the discussions are private. Grain hopes to reap about $6 billion from selling the licenses, one of the people said, although the company’s plans could also involve leasing the capacity. It’s possible another bidder could emerge.

Representatives for SpaceX, AST and Grain didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment.

The licenses cover nearly the entire US population, and they’re seen as valuable for helping satellite providers establish a ground-based link for voice services, known as a network pilot. Grain is confident that satellite and terrestrial services can co-exist in the 800 MHz band even though it’s previously only been used for ground-based mobile services, one of the people said.

The FCC said it wants to promote the growth of a new generation of satellite-based telecom networks that can fill gaps in land-based coverage and continue US leadership in the space-based communications industry. The commission created incentives for Grain to work with companies like AST and SpaceX, although the investment firm can also offer the spectrum to mobile phone companies, utilities and other providers, according to the order.

T-Mobile inherited the 800 MHz band when it combined with Sprint Corp. in 2020, but it never utilized the licenses. T-Mobile’s original plan was to sell the spectrum to Dish Network Corp. when it was tasked with standing up a fourth nationwide wireless carrier, but Dish ultimately declined to purchase the licenses. The FCC earlier approved an arrangement under which T-Mobile traded the spectrum to Grain for a set of 600 MHz licenses and a $2.9 billion cash payment.