T-Mobile CEO Calls Starlink Satellite Technology “Inferior”

SpaceX’s plan to build a mobile network using Starlink satellites has encountered resistance from the three major US carriers. According to TechRadar, T-Mobile, Verizon and AT&T have all rejected SpaceX’s proposal to become a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO).

T-Mobile CEO Srini Gopalan called satellite connectivity “an inferior version of FWA” during an earnings call, as reported by WCCFTech. He said satellite has more constraints, including the size of its beam. FWA, or fixed wireless access, delivers broadband through a router connected to a 4G or 5G signal and is often used in rural areas where conventional broadband is difficult to provide.

Gopalan also said that “two-thirds” of T-Mobile’s FWA customers are in dense urban areas, where he sees further growth under the company’s “fallow capacity” model. He said T-Mobile sees no “synergistic opportunity” with satellite providers.

TechRadar says SpaceX may therefore have to rely mainly on its own satellites for now. The company has plans to launch 15,000 new satellites and lease 80,000 cell tower sites. It may also install cellular base stations on existing Starlink dishes. Those plans could still allow it to build a mobile network, though the report presents that as a possibility rather than a certainty.