SpaceX Negotiates Access to 80,000 Cell Sites to Build Nationwide Wireless Carrier

SpaceX is in discussions with major cellular infrastructure providers to secure access to at least 80,000 U.S. cell sites as it aims to build a fourth nationwide wireless carrier. The target covers about half of the country's 158,500 purpose-built cell towers. Talks involve tower operators including Crown Castle, which manages around 40,000 towers, as SpaceX looks to pair terrestrial infrastructure with its Starlink constellation. TD Cowen estimates building the network could cost over $80 billion. Following the news, Crown Castle shares rose nearly 10%, while competitors AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile dropped 4.2% to 5%.