SpaceX says it plans to build a full terrestrial mobile service network in the United States to compete directly with major carriers AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile. The company’s plans are discussed during an investor call and on its first earnings call, where executives including CEO Elon Musk and SpaceX president Gwynne Shotwell describe the effort as targeting carrier customers.
SpaceX says it has acquired spectrum from EchoStar to support the network rollout. Reports note the company purchased 65 MHz of wireless spectrum licenses from EchoStar for $19.6 billion. The spectrum includes terrestrial components, and SpaceX says it intends to use that capacity to construct a true mobile service network rather than relying solely on satellite-based connectivity.
One outlet reports SpaceX intends to deploy rooftop base stations as part of the network buildout. The company also indicates a timeline that points to operating in the market by late next year, depending on deployment progress and regulatory requirements.
