SpaceX in talks to lease up to 80,000 U.S. cell sites for a new mobile network

SpaceX is negotiating with tower owner Crown Castle to access at least 80,000 U.S. cell sites as part of its plan to launch a fourth nationwide carrier. The discussions could generate lease agreements worth billions of dollars. Crown Castle’s CEO confirmed the talks but declined to name other potential customers. The news sent Crown Castle shares up about 10% while AT&T, Verizon and T‑Mobile each fell roughly 5% in after‑hours trading.

Crown Castle may see a significant new source of lease revenue if the deals close, while the three incumbent carriers could face added competitive pressure and may need to increase spending on their own networks. The market reaction reflects investors’ view of these potential impacts.

  • 1SpaceX is negotiating access to at least 80,000 U.S. cell sites.
  • 2Crown Castle is among the infrastructure companies involved in the talks.
  • 3Crown Castle shares surged as much as 10% in late trading after the report.
  • 4AT&T, Verizon and T‑Mobile each fell about 5% in extended trading.
  • 5The potential lease agreements could be worth billions of dollars.
  • 6Crown Castle CEO Chris Hillabrant said the company is talking to all parties but did not identify specific customers.

Sources