SpaceX wants access to at least 80,000 US cell sites and is in talks with tower company Crown Castle, Bloomberg reports, citing people familiar with the matter. The talks are part of a push to build a fourth nationwide carrier. No deal has been announced.
SpaceX is seeking access to at least 80,000 US cell sites to build a wireless network, Bloomberg reported on October 22, 2026, citing people familiar with the matter. Reuters carried the report.
SpaceX is in talks with at least one big tower company. According to Bloomberg, one of them is Crown Castle. The people said the deals would help SpaceX build a fourth nationwide carrier. Bloomberg reports the deals could run into the billions of dollars.
Crown Castle did not confirm. Asked on Wednesday's earnings call about leases with SpaceX, Amazon or other satellite providers, CEO Chris Hillabrant said "you can assume we're talking to all parties," declining to discuss specific customers. American Tower declined to comment, and SpaceX and Vertical Bridge didn't immediately respond, Bloomberg reported.
Why towers matter. SpaceX recently agreed to buy low-band 800 MHz spectrum, a deal pending FCC approval. The FCC approved 15,000 SpaceX direct-to-device satellites on Oct. 6, 2026. On SpaceX's earnings call, Elon Musk said it "will pave the way for Starlink Mobile to become a major mobile carrier in the US."
In plain terms. Phone networks rely on antennas mounted on towers. SpaceX wants to rent space on many of those towers so its planned phone service works on the ground, not just from satellites. These are talks, not signed deals.
Key terms.
What is next. No company has announced an agreement. Watch for statements from SpaceX or the tower companies, and for FCC action on the spectrum purchase.
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