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Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. announced that SpaceX has selected Qualcomm Dragonwing™ Cellular Infrastructure platforms for its Starlink Mobile U.S. nationwide terrestrial 5G network. Powered by the Qualcomm Dragonwing™ QRU100 and QDU100 platforms and commercial-grade Layer 1 software, the network will combine high-capacity Massive MIMO radio and baseband technology and power-efficient processing to support cellular base station deployment at scale. The collaboration represents a commercial step toward SpaceX and Qualcomm Technologies’ broader vision for AI-native 6G infrastructure.
“Building a nationwide network demands high performance and power efficiency at every site. Dragonwing Cellular Infrastructure platforms bring together advanced Massive MIMO, purpose-built processing and commercial-grade Layer 1 software to help Starlink deliver an exceptional nationwide network,” said Durga Malladi, EVP & GM, Technology Planning, Edge Solutions, and Data Center, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. “Together with SpaceX, we are building world-leading cellular infrastructure in the United States, advancing 5G today, with an opportunity to lay the foundation for AI-native 6G in the years ahead.”
“We shouldn’t live in a time where phone calls are still dropping whether you’re at home or on-the-go. Starlink is building the first fully-integrated nationwide satellite and terrestrial network that will keep people connected no matter where they are. We’re excited to collaborate with Qualcomm Technologies and leverage their industry expertise and platform to accelerate our timeline to develop our base station end-to-end architecture,” said Michael Nicolls, Senior Vice President of Starlink.
High-Capacity 5G Built for Scale
Starlink Mobile will use Massive MIMO radio units with 64 transmit and 64 receive paths (64T64R), bringing advanced antenna capabilities to its terrestrial network. This architecture is designed to improve coverage, capacity and spectral efficiency, helping the network serve more traffic efficiently.
The Dragonwing QRU100 platform provides highly integrated processing for Massive MIMO radio units, supporting the radio functions behind the 64T64R architecture. The Dragonwing QDU100 platform provides high-performance, efficient, latency-sensitive Layer 1 processing. Together, the platforms are designed to improve performance per watt across radio and distributed-unit processing, translating energy efficiency into improved network deployment economics at scale.
A Strong Foundation for Network Evolution
Dragonwing-powered radio unit and distributed unit building blocks will help provide Starlink with a flexible foundation for a multi-band network deployed across multiple rollout waves. While this deployment is focused on terrestrial 5G, its energy-efficient processing and open, evolvable architecture establishes a foundation for future connectivity and intelligence.
