SpaceX in Talks to Access at Least 80,000 U.S. Cell Sites: A Bid to Build a Fourth National Wireless Carrier
SpaceX is in talks with tower operators including Crown Castle to access at least 80,000 U.S. cell sites, roughly half of the approximately 158,500 purpose-built towers operating in the country, as it works toward building a fourth nationwide wireless carrier, Reuters reported. Satellite service has capacity and indoor-coverage limits in dense areas, and a terrestrial tower network is seen as the key missing piece for its direct-to-cell phone business.
TD Cowen estimates that building a fully competitive nationwide ground network could cost more than $80 billion. After the news broke, shares of AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile each fell between 4.2% and 5% in after-hours trading, while tower operators rose: Crown Castle climbed as much as about 10% after hours and American Tower gained about 5%. Asked on an earnings call this week whether Crown Castle was in leasing talks with SpaceX and other satellite providers, CEO Chris Hillabrant said: 'You can assume that we're talking to all parties.'
SpaceX has already been moving into the mobile market through a low-band spectrum acquisition and its Starlink direct-to-cell service. If access to 80,000 sites is secured, its ground coverage would for the first time be at a scale to compete head-on with the big three carriers. (GSM, based on Reuters reporting)
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 移动通信基站天线（资料图）。照片：Eclypes2008，CC0，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / Mobile communications base station antennas (file photo). Photo: Eclypes2008, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
