SpaceX presses ACMA for 2GHz satellite spectrum ahead of December 2027 outdoor mobile obligation

SpaceX is lobbying the Australian Communications and Media Authority for access to the 2GHz mobile satellite spectrum, which it says would let Starlink Mobile add voice and broadband to its existing messaging and data service. The Australian reported the push, and the regulator has yet to decide how the band will be allocated. ACMA says it will allocate the spectrum before the Universal Outdoor Mobile Obligation (UOMO) begins in December 2027.

SpaceX's vice president of satellite policy, David Goldman, visited Australia this month and called for a consistent approach to satellite spectrum authorisations. Goldman told The Australian that direct-to-device technology "adds another layer of resilience by allowing existing mobile phones to connect via satellite when terrestrial coverage is unavailable – whether that’s in a regional mobile black spot or when an outage or natural disaster disrupts ground-based infrastructure". He said the priority should be a framework that lets mobile operators across the market benefit.

The regulator has not committed to an outcome. An ACMA spokesman said: "We are continuing to consider future licensing and allocation arrangements, including the issues raised by stakeholders since our previous consultation process." The spokesman said submissions on allocation, competition and licence conditions would inform the next steps. ACMA also expects satellite services to use multiple bands over time, including bands already licensed to satellite and terrestrial providers, though it sees the 2GHz band as likely to be important for delivering the UOMO in the short term.

The delay is contentious because ACMA has already granted allocations to Amazon, Iridium and Inmarsat, according to The Australian. ACMA's March spectrum outlook said it was developing arrangements for the 2GHz band, with an allocation starting in late 2026, according to TeslaNorth. That outlook describes two 25MHz blocks intended for Australia-wide mobile satellite services, plus smaller blocks for narrowband uses such as short messages and sensors.

Goldman said SpaceX does not intend to compete head-on with Telstra, Optus and TPG Telecom. He said satellite connectivity "is not a replacement for terrestrial networks; it complements them by providing another way for Australians to stay connected when they need it most". In the United States, SpaceX started with T-Mobile, then bought spectrum rights from Echostar in a US$17bn cash-and-stock deal, and SpaceX president Gwynne Shotwell said in August she expected to win quite a few customers from the big three carriers.

SpaceX is leaning on recent outages to argue its case. Optus faces potential fines of up to $502m after ACMA moved to sue over a September 2025 outage linked to two deaths, and hundreds of triple-zero calls failed in July when a software upgrade disrupted Telstra's network. Telstra's current satellite service supports messaging and selected low-bandwidth apps but not traditional voice calls, and Telstra says customers cannot call Triple Zero through it.