SpaceX is moving toward a more direct challenge to the biggest names in US wireless. During the company’s first earnings call, president Gwynne Shotwell and CEO Elon Musk said SpaceX intends to build out a ground-based mobile network that could attract a meaningful number of subscribers from T-Mobile, AT&T, and Verizon.
Shotwell said the spectrum SpaceX bought from EchoStar includes terrestrial rights, giving the company a path to develop not just satellite capacity but also the physical network needed for a full mobile service. She said the current Starlink Mobile offering, which works with carrier networks to provide limited messaging and data in dead zones, should become far more capable once it begins using EchoStar spectrum and next-generation V2 satellites, which are expected to start launching next year.
A smaller spectrum position, but bigger ambitions
Even so, SpaceX’s spectrum holdings remain modest compared with those of the major carriers. The company acquired 65 megahertz from EchoStar, far less than what the large US wireless providers control. That means any nationwide buildout would likely require either more spectrum purchases or a different deployment strategy.
Shotwell pointed to one such strategy: placing cellular base stations on the same equipment that supports Starlink broadband dishes. Musk expanded on the idea, describing a network of small stations mounted on rooftops at homes and businesses, rather than relying on large, costly cellular towers. He argued that this approach could be deployed widely and could deliver higher-bandwidth connectivity than what is currently available from carriers.
SpaceX’s broader mobile plans had already been discussed ahead of a possible IPO, with Shotwell previously saying the company intended to sell mobile contracts directly to consumers in the US. She estimated the domestic wireless market at roughly $600 billion a year and said SpaceX expects its service to be strong enough to win over customers from the industry’s largest players.
Source: theverge.com
