$19.6 billion in FCC-approved SpaceX deals gives Starlink access to 65 MHz of EchoStar spectrum with terrestrial rights, removing a major bottleneck for its direct-to-phone service.
About 5 MHz of borrowed partner spectrum supports the current offering; with that larger spectrum block and a planned tenfold increase in next-generation satellites, SpaceX says capacity could rise roughly 100-fold.
SpaceX still sees satellites alone as insufficient in dense areas, where building penetration and shared capacity are weak, and Gwynne Shotwell said the company intends to add a terrestrial network.
Rather than copying incumbents' tower-heavy models, Shotwell described rooftop-mounted small base stations alongside Starlink dishes, though analysts say a competitive consumer mobile service remains unlikely within five years.
Markets are weighing both the threat and the execution risk: T-Mobile, AT&T and Verizon rebounded Thursday after Wednesday's selloff, while traders are also watching Starship launch cadence needed to support the expansion.