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Elon Musk’s empire continues to grow, with a strategy that seems to aim at a precise goal: building a technological ecosystem capable of relying less and less on external parties. The artificial intelligence of xAI, the Starlink satellites, SpaceX rockets, Tesla cars and robot development are part of a vision in which each activity can support the others. Added to this is X, the social network through which Musk can disseminate information, reach millions of people and influence public debate. It is not just about owning companies in different sectors, but about creating links between technologies, infrastructures and services, reducing intermediaries and maintaining ever greater control over what is produced and distributed.
Now Musk appears to want to enter decisively into the mobile phone market. SpaceX is reportedly negotiating to use roughly 80,000 base stations in the United States, with the goal of building an operator capable of competing with AT&T, T‑Mobile and Verizon. In this contest, the advantage is not only about delivering the best technology, but about controlling the infrastructure through which that technology reaches people at low cost.
But let’s get to the headline. SpaceX is conducting negotiations with at least one major U.S. network infrastructure operator to use roughly 80,000 base stations for the Starlink Mobile project. The company aims to challenge giants such as AT&T, T‑Mobile and Verizon. By comparison: a year ago, T‑Mobile announced it had more than 82,000 telecommunications towers.
According to Bloomberg, lease agreements for base stations with the company Crown Castle are under discussion as part of SpaceX’s plans to create a fourth national mobile phone operator. Alongside American Tower and Vertical Bridge Holdings, Crown Castle is among the largest owners of mobile phone towers.
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk does not hide his intention to create an independent mobile phone operator from scratch. Recently, SpaceX acquired a low‑frequency radio spectrum that will allow it to use the Starlink satellites and other technological components to build, according to Musk, “a large mobile operator.”
The company has also obtained authorization from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) of the United States to launch 15,000 satellites intended to provide mobile phone services directly to users’ phones. To ensure a reliable connection with ground subscribers, companies also need the infrastructure of telecommunications towers.
Operators typically lease space for their equipment in base radio stations, as it is more economical than direct ownership and maintenance — especially since the infrastructure can be shared.
“We will develop our terrestrial networks to guarantee connectivity everywhere. SpaceX and Starlink have the right to operate,” Musk said this week. He emphasized that the satellite launches combined with the acquisition of the frequency spectrum “will pave the way for turning Starlink Mobile into a large mobile operator in the United States.”
