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SpaceX Seeks Access to 80,000 Mobile Cell Sites in the US
Space2 min read
SpaceX, Elon Musk's rocket and satellite company, is reportedly talking with tower companies to gain access to more than 80,000 mobile phone towers across the United States. The goal is to become a full mobile phone carrier.
What happened
According to Bloomberg's sources, SpaceX is negotiating with several telecom infrastructure companies, including Crown Castle. Crown Castle is one of the firms that owns the most mobile towers in the U.S. Reuters says this is the next step in SpaceX's plan to become the fourth mobile carrier that could cover the whole country. SpaceX has not commented.
Key numbers
- The U.S. had about 158,500 mobile towers in 2025, according to the Wireless Infrastructure Association.
- SpaceX wants access to more than 80,000 of them, about half.
- Crown Castle runs about 40,000 towers. American Tower has 42,000 and Vertical Bridge has 18,000.
- TD Cowen estimates that building a new nationwide mobile network would cost more than $80 billion and take years.
How we got here
In early October, the Wall Street Journal reported that SpaceX agreed to pay $8 billion in cash to Grain Management for licenses to use 800 MHz spectrum. This is a radio frequency range that is best suited for tower-based services, not satellites. Last year, SpaceX also agreed to buy satellite spectrum rights from EchoStar for nearly $17 billion. EchoStar later agreed to sell some ground-based mobile licenses to SpaceX for $2.6 billion. Before this, SpaceX offered basic wireless service in rural areas through a deal with T-Mobile.
Why it matters
If SpaceX gets tower access and spectrum, its Starlink satellites could reach phones in places where satellite signals are blocked, such as inside buildings. This could make SpaceX a direct rival of long-time carriers like AT&T and Verizon. The U.S. Federal Communications Commission has also approved SpaceX's plan to launch 15,000 satellites for phone and data services.
What to watch
- Whether SpaceX signs final deals with Crown Castle and other tower companies.
- Whether SpaceX confirms the talks, since it has not commented yet.
- How quickly SpaceX can build out its network and what it costs.
- How AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile respond to a new competitor.
Glossary
- SpaceX
- A company led by Elon Musk that builds rockets and satellites, and runs the Starlink internet service.
- Crown Castle
- A company that owns and runs mobile phone towers, including about 40,000 in the U.S.
- Starlink
- SpaceX's network of internet satellites that send high-speed internet to people on Earth.
- 800 MHz spectrum
- A band of radio frequencies used for mobile phone signals. It works best with towers, not satellites.
- EchoStar
- A satellite and telecom company that sold spectrum rights to SpaceX.