SpaceX Seeks Access to 80,000 US Wireless Sites as Musk Targets Nationwide Mobile Network

SpaceX is in talks with cellular infrastructure companies to secure access to at least 80,000 sites across the United States, Bloomberg News reported on Thursday, as Elon Musk's space company advances plans to build a nationwide wireless network that could challenge established mobile carriers.

The proposed agreements would potentially strengthen SpaceX's path towards becoming the country's fourth nationwide wireless carrier, giving the company access to a substantial network of existing infrastructure rather than relying entirely on building new sites.

SpaceX is in discussions with mobile infrastructure provider Crown Castle, according to the report. The company is also acquiring nationwide low-band spectrum, a key component of its plans to expand into terrestrial wireless communications.

The scale of the proposed site agreements highlights the infrastructure requirements of SpaceX's ambitions. Securing access to 80,000 locations would provide a potential footprint equivalent to roughly half of the 158,500 purpose-built cell towers operating in the US last year, according to the Wireless Infrastructure Association.

The negotiations come as SpaceX seeks to extend its telecommunications business beyond satellite connectivity. A nationwide mobile network would place the company in more direct competition with AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile, which already operate extensive wireless infrastructure and established customer bases.

Shares of the three carriers fell between 4.2% and 5% in extended trading on Thursday, reflecting investor concerns about the prospect of a new competitor with substantial financial resources and an existing satellite network.

However, access to existing cellular sites could help SpaceX accelerate deployment and avoid some of the expense and delays associated with building a nationwide network from scratch.

Cellular infrastructure companies own or operate towers and other sites that wireless carriers use to install antennas and related equipment. Leasing space on these structures allows telecommunications providers to expand coverage without having to purchase land, construct every tower, and manage the entire physical infrastructure themselves.

Crown Castle operates approximately 40,000 cell towers in the US, while American Tower has about 42,000 US sites. Privately held Vertical Bridge owns around 18,000 sites.

SpaceX's reported target of at least 80,000 sites would therefore represent a substantial infrastructure commitment, potentially requiring agreements with multiple providers and coordination across a large geographic area. The number of sites alone, however, does not establish how much usable coverage or network capacity SpaceX could deliver. That would depend on the locations, equipment installed, spectrum available, and the network's design.

Crown Castle Chief Executive Christian Hillabrant said on Wednesday that the company was talking to "all parties" when asked about potential leases with SpaceX and Amazon, but declined to identify specific customers.

While using existing sites could reduce the time needed to establish a physical footprint, it would not eliminate the technical and financial challenges of operating a nationwide wireless service. SpaceX would still need to deploy radio equipment, connect sites to the wider network, manage backhaul capacity, and ensure reliable coverage across urban and rural areas.

The company would also have to compete on service quality, pricing, and reliability against carriers with mature networks and established relationships with millions of subscribers.

A Costly Challenge to Established Carriers

The financial requirements could be substantial. TD Cowen estimated that a nationwide terrestrial wireless network would cost more than $80 billion, requiring many years and billions of dollars in additional spending.

That estimate denotes the difference between obtaining access to infrastructure and building a fully functioning national carrier. Site leases are only one part of the investment. Spectrum, network equipment, connectivity, software, customer acquisition, and ongoing maintenance would add to the financial burden.

SpaceX's purchase of nationwide low-band spectrum could give it an important foundation for the project. Low-band frequencies are generally useful for broad geographic coverage and for penetrating buildings, making them valuable for nationwide mobile services. However, actual performance would depend on the spectrum holdings, network configuration, and the amount of capacity available in areas with heavy demand.

The company could potentially draw on its satellite business to differentiate its service, particularly in locations where conventional terrestrial networks struggle to provide coverage. Yet satellite connectivity and a conventional cellular network serve different technical roles. A nationwide terrestrial service would require substantial ground infrastructure to deliver capacity and performance comparable to established carriers.

SpaceX's ability to combine satellite and terrestrial connectivity could offer a competitive advantage, but the commercial value of that combination remains uncertain until the company demonstrates how the services will work together and what customers will pay.

The reported discussions also point to a potential opportunity for tower operators. Leasing agreements with a new nationwide carrier could generate additional revenue from existing infrastructure, especially if SpaceX signs long-term contracts across a large number of sites.

For the incumbent wireless carriers, the greater concern is that SpaceX could introduce a new competitor with access to satellite assets and the financial backing needed to pursue a large infrastructure project.

However, analysts see the immediate market reaction as an indication that investors are taking the threat seriously, although the reported talks do not confirm that final leasing agreements have been reached or that SpaceX has established a launch timetable for a nationwide service.