Elon Musk’s SpaceX has acquired $17 billion worth of EchoStar’s wireless spectrum, the two companies announced on Monday. The coveted chunk of spectrum, which is used to transmit cellular data through the air, exists in the 1.9 and lower 2GHz spectrum bands. The news comes six weeks after SpaceX launched its satellite texting partnership T-Mobile , called T-Satellite.

SpaceX’s Starlink internet service is now poised to dramatically increase its direct-to-cell coverage, which allows users to text, call or use apps in remote areas outside the reach of cellular towers.

Out of Starlink’s 8,140 satellites in orbit, 657 belong to its first generation direct-to-cell constellation. In a blog post heralding the deal, SpaceX says the deal will allow for more than 100 times the capacity it

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