SpaceX Reportedly Seeks Access to 80,000 Cell Sites

SpaceX is planning to access at least 80,000 cell sites as it seeks to compete directly with Verizon, T-Mobile, and AT&T, according to Bloomberg, as reported by The Verge. The report says SpaceX is in talks with Crown Castle Inc., one of the largest cell tower owners in the United States.

Access to those sites would give SpaceX reach across half of the 158,500 cell towers currently operating in the US, according to Reuters. SpaceX plans to pair a network of cell towers with its constellation of direct-to-cell satellites.

Asked on an earnings call about a possible partnership with SpaceX, Amazon, or other satellite services, Crown Castle CEO Chris Hillabrant declined to discuss specific customers, saying the company was “talking to all parties.”

Earlier this month, SpaceX acquired a portfolio of low-band spectrum licenses and received FCC approval to deploy 15,000 upgraded V2 Starlink Mobile satellites. The company says those moves will “pave the way” for Starlink Mobile to become a “major” carrier in the US. SpaceX also acquired 2GHz spectrum from EchoStar for $17 billion last year.