SpaceX is reportedly holding talks with one of the largest cell tower owners in the United States as the Elon Musk-owned company works toward becoming a mobile carrier, according to Bloomberg. The discussions with the tower company could give SpaceX access to roughly 80,000 cell sites. The reported figure represents about half of the 158,500 cell towers currently in operation across the country, according to Reuters.
When asked on an earnings call on Wednesday about a possible partnership with SpaceX, Amazon or other satellite services, Crown Castle CEO Chris Hillabrant declined to address specific customers. He indicated that the company is in conversations with all of the parties involved. Crown Castle is one of the largest cell tower owners in the US.
SpaceX intends to combine a cell tower network with its direct-to-cell satellite constellation. Earlier this month, the company acquired a portfolio of low-band spectrum licenses. It also received FCC approval to deploy 15,000 upgraded V2 Starlink Mobile satellites.
SpaceX has said those moves will pave the way for Starlink Mobile to become a major carrier in the US. The company also bought 2GHz spectrum from EchoStar for $17 billion last year, adding to the resources behind its carrier ambitions.
The reported tower discussions would extend SpaceX's reach into ground-based infrastructure as it builds out Starlink Mobile. Pairing towers with its satellites would give the service both terrestrial and space-based capacity. For US consumers, the effort could add a new wireless carrier option alongside existing providers, though no deal has been confirmed.
The talks remain unconfirmed by SpaceX and by the tower owner. Crown Castle's CEO did not identify which satellite companies the firm is speaking with. The reported negotiations were first disclosed by Bloomberg, and the tower count was reported by Reuters.
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