SpaceX has submitted a trademark application for Starlink Mobile, suggesting that the Elon Musk-led company may intend to establish a mobile carrier using its fast-growing satellite network.
SpaceX filed the trademark with the US Patent and Trademark Office on Oct. 16 and is awaiting assignment with an examiner, according to the department's website.
The application cites telecommunications services, namely personal cellular services, and two-way transmission of text, voice and audio.
A representative for SpaceX didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.
Starlink beams down broadband internet from space through a network of thousands of satellites. The unit's rise has helped fuel SpaceX's eye-watering valuation, which could be set as high as $800 billion in its latest tender offer, ahead of a potential initial public offering as soon as late next year, Bloomberg reported on Friday.
SpaceX is currently partnering with T-Mobile US Inc. to use its Starlink network in low-Earth orbit to provide satellite-based connectivity in “dead zones” or areas without traditional land-based cell service.
But on an appearance on the All-In podcast in September, Musk said that it could be “one of the options” for SpaceX to establish its own independent mobile carrier to directly compete with companies like AT&T Inc. and Verizon Communications Inc.
In September, SpaceX completed a $17 billion dollar deal to acquire wireless spectrum from EchoStar Corp., a move that expanded Starlink's ability to provide mobile service directly to consumers.
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