SpaceX plans to access at least 80,000 cell sites as part of its efforts to compete directly with Verizon, T-Mobile and AT&T, according to a report from Bloomberg. Sources tell the publication that SpaceX is in talks with Crown Castle Inc., one of the country’s largest cell tower owners.
The move would give SpaceX access to half of the 158,500 cell towers currently operational in the US, according to Reuters. When asked about a possible partnership with SpaceX, Amazon or other satellite services during an earnings call Wednesday, Crown Castle CEO Chris Hillabrant said, “I don’t think I want to get into customer-specific details, but you can assume we’re talking to all parties.” SpaceX plans to pair a network of cell towers with its constellation of direct-to-cell satellites.
