SpaceX to pay $17 billion in wireless spectrum deal

• It also should fully resolve an FCC inquiry into EchoStar, which was kicked off by a complaint from SpaceX, and comes shortly after EchoStar sold off another spectrum license package to AT&T for $23 billion.

Zoom in: The $17 billion is evenly split between cash and stock, and covers AWS-4 and H-block spectrum licenses.

• SpaceX also agreed to cover around $2 billion in interest payments on EchoStar debt through November 2027, and signed a long-term commercial agreement for EchoStar's Boost Mobile users.

Go deeper, via the WSJ: "SpaceX is already a growing home broadband provider through its Starlink business and has dipped into the mobile-phone sector through a U.S. partnership with T-Mobile. But the new spectrum rights would significantly improve Starlink's ability to connect with cellphones in remote areas out of cellphone towers' reach."