Elon Musk Says He's 'Excited' About Qualcomm Deal As SpaceX Gears Up For Massive 5G Expansion

Elon Musk welcomed Space Exploration Technologies Corp.‘s (NASDAQ:SPCX) partnership with Qualcomm Inc. (NASDAQ:QCOM) to develop next-generation wireless technology as the companies prepare one of the largest 5G network deployments in the United States.

SpaceX And Qualcomm Plan Major 5G Expansion

"Excited to be working with Qualcomm on breakthrough technologies for 5G & beyond," Musk wrote in an X post on Sunday, responding to remarks by Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon about the Starlink Mobile project. The collaboration would combine SpaceX-built cellular base stations with Qualcomm’s radio technology.

Excited to be working with @Qualcomm on breakthrough technologies for 5G & beyond https://t.co/1lMOS9JCog

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 9, 2026

Qualcomm announced last week that SpaceX had selected its Dragonwing infrastructure platforms for a nationwide terrestrial network. Starlink Mobile plans to begin deploying the system in 2027, installing equipment across tens of thousands of sites under a multiyear agreement, the chipmaker said.

"We’re very excited. It’s going to be one of the largest 5G deployments in the United States," Amon said in remarks made following the official partnership announcement and coinciding with Qualcomm’s Q4 2026 earnings release. He described the project as "a great step on U.S. technology leadership" and said SpaceX would build base stations while Qualcomm supplied radio silicon.

Amon Sees Innovation In AI-Native Network Architecture

"It’s going to be an AI native architecture. It’s going to bring a lot of innovation," Amon added. Qualcomm’s announcement said the initial deployment targets terrestrial 5G while creating a foundation for future AI-native 6G infrastructure.

The equipment includes Dragonwing QRU100 and QDU100 platforms and software that processes wireless signals. Qualcomm said the radio architecture uses 64 transmitting and 64 receiving paths to improve capacity, coverage and efficient use of spectrum.

Starlink executive Michael Nicolls said the company wants to combine satellite and ground infrastructure to reduce dropped calls. Reuters reported November 4 that the agreement was Qualcomm’s largest 5G infrastructure deal to date, although the companies did not disclose its financial terms.

Musk’s Wireless Ambitions Face Substantial Infrastructure Costs

SpaceX’s ambitions extend beyond the partnership. Reuters reported October 22 that the company was seeking access to at least 80,000 U.S. cell sites, a move that raised competition concerns for established carriers.

Deutsche Telekom CEO Tim Höttges estimated last week that SpaceX would need at least €200 billion to compete in the mobile communications industry, highlighting the investment needed before its planned network can challenge established carriers.

Price Action: SPCX shares were trading 1.00% higher at $135.61 in pre-market trading on Monday, according to Benzinga Pro data.

Photo courtesy: Shutterstock