Qualcomm Technologies has announced that SpaceX has selected its Dragonwing Cellular Infrastructure platforms to help build Starlink Mobile’s nationwide 5G network in the US.
As a result, the network will use Qualcomm’s Dragonwing QRU100 and QDU100 platforms, alongside its Layer 1 software, with technology supporting high-capacity 5G radio equipment and helping SpaceX deploy base stations across the country.
The partnership is also part of the companies’ wider plans to develop future AI-native 6G networks, it revealed.
Qualcomm EVP & GM, Technology Planning, Edge Solutions, and Data Centre, Durga Malladi said: “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.
“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.”
Meanwhile, Starlink Mobile will use Massive MIMO radio units with 64 transmit and 64 receive paths (64T64R). The technology is designed to improve coverage and network capacity, allowing more data to be handled across available spectrum.
Starlink Senior Vice President, Michael Nicolls added: “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.”
Qualcomm’s QRU100 platform will support the radio equipment, while the QDU100 will handle the processing needed to run the network. Together, the platforms are designed to improve performance while using less power.
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