Milbank LLP represented Grain Management, LLC (“Grain”), a leading global investment firm specializing in digital infrastructure, in the definitive agreement under which SpaceX will acquire 100% of Grain's nationwide 800 MHz spectrum portfolio. The transaction is subject to FCC approval and other customary closing conditions.
The agreement will allow SpaceX to use scarce low-band spectrum to support next-generation satellite direct-to-device ("D2D") services, enabling Starlink Mobile to reach customers from both the ground and space. The agreement also advances the objectives of the FCC’s July 2026 order approving Grain’s acquisition of the spectrum from T-Mobile, which established a competitive selection process and a conditional pathway for D2D deployment. This transaction aligns with the Commission’s efforts to expand coverage, encourage satellite and terrestrial network integration, and promote productive spectrum use.
Click here to read the official press release.
Milbank previously advised Grain on its acquisition of T-Mobile’s nationwide 800 MHz spectrum portfolio. Following the successful acquisition, Milbank supported Grain in executing its strategy for the portfolio, including advancing multiple pathways for deployment consistent with the framework established by the FCC, culminating in the definitive agreement to sell the portfolio to SpaceX.
The Milbank deal team was led by Transportation and Space partner Patrick Campbell and Global Corporate/M&A partner Daniel P. Tyrrell.
The team also included Global Corporate/M&A partner and Public M&A co-head Iliana Ongun; Global Corporate/M&A partner and co-head of the Global Energy & Infrastructure Practice John Franchini; Global Corporate/M&A associates Rachel Rice, Christina (Sonageri) Cannon, Abigail King and Daniel Munden and law clerks Sofie Tabernilla and Viviane Paola Mathieu; Tax partner Max Goodman and associate Rita Halabi; and Antitrust partner Fiona Schaeffer and special counsel Alexis Brown-Reilly.
