SpaceX has agreed to pay $17 billion to acquire wireless spectrum licenses from EchoStar, bolstering its Starlink satellite network and accelerating plans to deliver direct-to-cell connectivity across the globe.

The transaction gives SpaceX control of the valuable AWS-4 and H-block spectrum bands, long sought after for their ability to support next-generation 4G and 5G services, allowing Starlink's space-based internet to work seamlessly with terrestrial mobile networks, effectively turning Starlink into a hybrid competitor to traditional wireless carriers.

With the purchase, SpaceX gains key assets to deliver text, voice, and broadband directly from orbit, bypassing traditional cell towers. 

Gwynne Shotwell, president and COO of SpaceX, said the deal will help the company "end mobile dead zones around the world... With exclusive spectrum, SpaceX will develop next-generation Starlink Direct to Cell satellites, which will have a step change in performance and enable us to enhance coverage for customers wherever they are in the world."