$ASTS: “Alea iacta est” SpaceX in Talks to Access 80,000 Cell Sites for Wireless Network - Bloomberg By Kelcee Griffis 10/22/2026 17:31:42 SpaceX aims to secure a minimum of 80,000 cell sites across the US, and it’s in talks with at least one major cellular infrastructure company to reach that goal, according to people familiar with the matter.  The agreements would solidify the rocket and satellite giant’s path toward building a fourth nationwide wireless carrier, said the people, who asked to not be identified because the discussions are private. One of the companies they’re in talks with is Crown Castle Inc., which, along with American Tower Corp. and Vertical Bridge Holdings, are among the largest owners of cellular towers.   When asked on a Wednesday earnings conference call whether Crown Castle is discussing leases with SpaceX, Amazon.com Inc. or other satellite-based telecom providers, Chief Executive Officer Chris Hillabrant said, “You can assume that we’re talking to all parties.” He declined to discuss specific customer details. American Tower declined to comment. SpaceX and Vertical Bridge didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment. Mobile networks rely on antennas placed on towers across the country to transmit wireless signals. Carriers such as AT&T Inc., Verizon Communications Inc. and T-Mobile US Inc. typically lease room for their equipment at the tower sites because it’s more cost effective than owning and maintaining them, in part because the facilities can be shared. The value of the deals with SpaceX could reach into the billions. SpaceX Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk has made no secret of his intentions to create a standalone wireless carrier from scratch, threatening the existing dominant providers with increased competition from a well-funded and politically potent new rival. While the prospect requires significant investment, Musk is plowing ahead. SpaceX recently acquired low-band spectrum that will help it parlay its Starlink satellites and other elements into what Musk described as a “major mobile carrier.” The company won Federal Communications Commission approval to launch 15,000 satellites designed to provide mobile service directly to phones. Wireless tower sites are another key component that SpaceX must assemble to establish reliable links with users on the ground.  “We will be building out our terrestrial networks so there’s broad-based connectivity anywhere that SpaceX and Starlink are allowed to operate,” Musk said during SpaceX’s earnings call this week. Satellite launches plus spectrum acquisition “will pave the way for Starlink Mobile to become a major mobile carrier in the US,” he said. Crown Castle’s Hillabrant said SpaceX’s acquisition of the low-band spectrum is a “huge milestone” in being able to provide broad mobile coverage. Tower companies’ share prices rose on the news of SpaceX’s latest spectrum purchase earlier this month, suggesting that the market anticipates major business coming their way as SpaceX seeks to build larger-scale infrastructure to implement the new airwaves. SpaceX has already said it plans to use its home Internet equipment to emit mobile signals in the areas surrounding customers’ installations. Those sites are located where subscribers are, however, and not necessarily where they are needed to provide consistent coverage for a network, according to the research firm MoffettNathanson LLC.

Musk's clash with Ukraine accelerates demand for Starlink alternatives. Few exist cnbc.com/2026/10/22/elon-mus…

We welcomed Mirko Bibic, CEO of Bell Canada, along with members of his team, to our Midland, Texas, facility for a closer look at the technology behind space-based cellular broadband and the rapid progress of our BlueBird satellite program. Canada has some of the world’s most rugged and remote terrain. Together with @Bell, we are working to eliminate dead zones and deliver seamless cellular broadband where it has never been possible before. Everywhere. Anywhere. No gaps. No dead zones. 🌎📶📱 #ASTSpaceMobile #BlueBirds #ConnectingTheUnconnected #Bell

Welcoming Sharad Sriwastawa - Co-CEO of @Rakuten_Mobile and President of @RakutenSymphony - and his team to Midland as we work together to bring space-based cellular broadband connectivity to Japan before the end of 2026. Together, we are advancing a space-based resilience network to expand everyday connectivity where coverage is limited or unavailable and keep communities and emergency responders connected when disasters strike. 🇺🇸 🇯🇵📶🌎📱 #ASTSpaceMobile #ConnectingTheUnconnected

Orange wants to expand satellite direct-to-device services through its partnership with AST SpaceMobile and its European JV with Vodafone, Satellite Connect Europe, but has postponed testing amid limited satellite coverage. Read more on Light Reading: bit.ly/4i7tZ6c

- This is about putting signal where needed and useful. It’s about not sending signals where they do harm. AST ACLR is -40 dB. They emitt only -40dB in adjacent channels, better than towers. Compare to Space-X ACLR of -20dB worse than towers. -On a log scale. Wow.

- This is about putting signal where needed and useful. It’s about not sending signals where they do harm. AST ACLR is -40 dB. They emitt only -40dB in adjacent channels, better than towers. Compare to Space-X ACLR of -20dB worse than towers. -On a log scale. Wow.

T-Mobile comes out against satellite D2D in the 2496-2690 MHz band. Argues downlink interference from satellites could cause a cell site to lose up to 96% of its uplink coverage area and reduce uplink speeds for affected customers by 88% to 99%. fcc.gov/ecfs/document/261100…