Susana SchwartzTable of Contents
SpaceX directly challenges AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile
Elon Musk’s recent telecom plays may seem consumer focused on the surface, but they are a component of his expansion into AI infrastructure and space-based edge computing. For Musk and SpaceX, connectivity is the underlying pipeline for real-time AI.
With the acquisition of the 800 MHz low-band spectrum portfolio from Grain Management, Starlink Mobile gets up to 14 MHz of paired terrestrial low-band airwaves across the United States. The move transitions SpaceX from niche satellite broadband provider to a standalone nationwide mobile carrier – directly challenging AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile.
According to SatNews, incorporating low-band 800 MHz frequencies into its space-based phased-array payloads helps Starlink Mobile boost direct-to-device (D2D) satellite networks, and complements SpaceX’s newly authorized 15,000-satellite Very Low Earth Orbit (VLEO) constellation.
Securing low-band spectrum and building hybrid space-and-ground wireless networks will bring about space-based inference and expanded edge AI capabilities for GroqAI and X.AI.
To learn more, check out our “top story” below, and be sure to peruse “What you need to know” for a summary of today’s news.
Susana Schwartz
Technology Editor
RCRTech
AI Infrastructure Top Stories
SpaceX bridging Grok, robotics, and FSD: SpaceX’s acquisition of Grain Management’s 800 MHz spectrum establishes an uninterrupted, nationwide data conduit for edge AI, autonomous fleets, and mobile AI ecosystems.
6G on operators’ terms?: AI applications and integrated sensing and comms (ISAC) may demand precisely the architectural changes that operators would otherwise prefer to avoid. Sean Kinney takes a closer look in this Research Note.
AI Today: What You Need to Know
Johnson heat pumps: Johnson Controls says its Sabroe HitemHP line of industrial high-temp heat pumps delivered up to 3x the energy efficiency of electric boilers, also reducing energy costs by 91%, and annual water costs by up to 30%.
BTMS market heading to $11bn: MarketsandMarkets reports that the Battery Thermal Management System market is scaling toward $10.97 billion by 2033, backed by 800V architectures and massive manufacturing expansions.
Oregon expands DC pause: Oregon Governor Tina Kotek directed environmental regulators to temporarily stop issuing pollution permits to data centers, which would effectively pause most data center development in Oregon until next summer.
TX enforces water compliance: Texas AG Ken Paxton has asked 156 DC developers to provide up-to-date reporting on water usage, focusing on those that have not yet responded to the Texas Water Development Board’s water use survey.
DCs press ahead: Despite some pauses, plenty of DC projects are progressing, such as Meta’s 3,000-acre data center project in Mason County, KY; Google’s expansion throughout IN; Crusoe’s 2 GW DC in Abilene, TX.
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