SpaceX plans to tap 80,000 US cell sites for Starlink Mobile
Bloomberg says the deals could be worth billions of dollars, while analysts put the cost of a nationwide ground network between $50 billion and $130 billion.
26 Oct 2026 0 reads Compiled with AI
SpaceX wants access to at least 80,000 U.S. cell sites for its planned mobile network, Bloomberg reported, citing people familiar with the matter. The company is in talks with at least one big tower owner, Crown Castle, and the deals could put SpaceX on a path to become the fourth nationwide US carrier, after AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile. The 80,000-site target is about half of the 158,500 purpose-built cell towers operating in the U.S. last year, Reuters noted.
Crown Castle chief executive Chris Hillabrant would not name customers on the company's earnings call, but told analysts, "you can assume that we're talking to all parties." Analysts estimate a nationwide ground network could cost between $50 billion and $130 billion. TD Cowen put the figure above $80 billion, and BNP Paribas estimated $100 billion for a build of 50,000 to 70,000 sites, RCR Wireless reported.
SpaceX's plan follows its agreement to buy nationwide low-band 800 MHz spectrum and the FCC's approval of 15,000 satellites designed to connect directly to phones, Bloomberg reported. Musk said the company will be building out its terrestrial networks "so there's broad-based connectivity anywhere that SpaceX and Starlink are allowed to operate."
After the report, Crown Castle shares rose as much as 10 percent in late trading, Bloomberg said. Shares of AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile fell between 4.2 percent and 5 percent in extended trading, Reuters reported.