SpaceX与AST SpaceMobile据报有意竞购Grain的美国800MHz频谱牌照

SpaceX, led by Elon Musk, is mounting a major challenge that could reshape the global telecommunications and artificial intelligence markets, as its plans for a satellite-based mobile business take clearer shape.
Bloomberg reported on the 21st that SpaceX and AST SpaceMobile are considering acquiring an 800 MHz spectrum license held by Grain Management, a U.S. investment firm.
The spectrum came up for sale after Grain completed a spectrum swap with T-Mobile US earlier this month. Grain, an investment firm specializing in technology and telecommunications, has asked interested parties to submit preliminary proposals by the first week of September, according to reports.
Grain is said to be seeking about $6 billion (8.32 trillion won) from the sale of the spectrum license. It may also consider leasing the spectrum instead of selling it outright.
The deal matters because an 800 MHz spectrum license can cover most of the U.S. population. Analysts say it is particularly valuable because space companies such as SpaceX can use it to build ground-based networks.
SpaceX has said it plans to launch mobile service as early as the end of next year. On a second-quarter earnings conference call, President Gwynne Shotwell said the spectrum secured from EchoStar includes assets that can be used to build a terrestrial network, and that SpaceX plans to build ground infrastructure to turn Starlink into a "true mobile service."
Last September, SpaceX signed a $17 billion agreement with U.S. satellite communications company EchoStar for rights to 50 MHz of spectrum. EchoStar said SpaceX would use the spectrum to build a direct-to-device (D2D) service that links smartphones and satellites directly. As the scope of the deal later expanded, SpaceX's spectrum plans grew to as much as 65 MHz. If SpaceX also secures the 800 MHz band from Grain, the barrier to launching a direct mobile service would fall sharply.
Until now, Starlink's mobile business has served only as a complement to existing carriers. In the U.S., the model relied on spectrum held by mobile carriers such as T-Mobile and AT&T to connect ordinary smartphones directly to satellites, providing text messaging and limited data service in areas beyond the reach of ground base stations.
Assessments of Starlink's expansion into telecommunications are mixed. Some observers say a "catfish effect" could emerge, as a new player enters a market long dominated by three large carriers. Indeed, at the time of SpaceX's second-quarter earnings release, shares of carriers such as AT&T and Verizon fell in the wake of Shotwell's remarks. Still, the prevailing view is that there are limits to Starlink replacing existing mobile networks, given actual service pricing and the cost of building large-scale infrastructure.
An industry official said Tesla completely changed the framework of the existing auto market because it brought new technologies in electric and self-driving vehicles. The official said Musk, who understands the importance of disruptive innovation, would put forward technological capabilities for SpaceX's mobile service that are entirely differentiated from those of existing carriers.