SpaceX is buying another $2.6 billion worth of wireless spectrum licenses from EchoStar, an expansion of a $17 billion deal announced in September, as its satellite internet business Starlink continues to win new customers around the world.

The spectrum sale comes just a day after SpaceX revealed it has passed 8 million global customers. On Thursday, the company added more commercial contracts to that total. International Airlines Group announced it will install Starlink inflight internet on more than 500 aircraft across its portfolio, which includes British Airways, Iberia, and Aer Lingus.

The additional EchoStar spectrum will be used to grow Starlink’s nascent “direct to cell” constellation, which initially lets T-Mobile customers access satellite-based 5G internet.

EchoStar started

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