SpaceX is in talks with major US tower companies to gain access to as many as 80,000 cell sites for Starlink Mobile, following the company’s FCC approval to acquire Tristar’s AWS-3 spectrum. The towers would give SpaceX a ground network to work alongside its direct-to-cell satellites.
Crown Castle is among the tower owners SpaceX is negotiating with, according to people familiar with the matter who spoke to Bloomberg. American Tower and Vertical Bridge, the other two large tower owners in the US, could also be involved. American Tower declined to comment, while SpaceX and Vertical Bridge did not respond to requests for comment. Any agreements could be worth billions of dollars.
Crown Castle CEO Chris Hillabrant did not name SpaceX during the company’s third-quarter earnings call on Wednesday, but he did not rule it out either. “You can assume that we’re talking to all parties,” said Hillabrant, who also called SpaceX’s recent purchase of low-band spectrum a “huge milestone.”
SpaceX’s goal is to become the fourth national wireless carrier in the US, and Elon Musk outlined the plan on SpaceX’s own earnings call. “We will be building out our terrestrial networks so there’s broad-based connectivity anywhere that SpaceX and Starlink are allowed to operate,” said Musk. He added that satellite launches and spectrum “will pave the way for Starlink Mobile to become a major mobile carrier in the US.”
The FCC has already approved SpaceX to operate 15,000 satellites that connect directly to phones, and Starlink Mobile now has more than 22 million monthly users.
T-Mobile already partners with SpaceX on direct-to-cell service in the US, and has expanded its Starlink satellite roaming to Canada and New Zealand.
Related Articles:
- FCC Approves SpaceX Deal for Tristar’s AWS-3 Spectrum to Expand Starlink Direct-to-Device Service
- Starlink Mobile Tops 22 Million Monthly Users as SpaceX Eyes Becoming a Major U.S. Carrier
- T-Mobile Expands Starlink Roaming to Canada and New Zealand
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