# T-Mobile owner on Elon Musk launching a wireless carrier: ‘Welcome to the party’

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/t-mobile-owner-on-elon-musk-launching-a-wireless-carrier-welcome-to-the-party/
- Published: 2026-11-05T23:17:10+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-05T23:22:25+00:00
- Original publisher: The Verge
- Original article: https://www.theverge.com/tech/1028346/t-mobile-deutsche-telecom-spacex-starlink-mobile
- Topics: Americas, Business, Companies, Space, Technology, World

## Key points

- Deutsche Telekom estimates Starlink Mobile needs at least $200 billion.
- SpaceX plans to combine satellites with a terrestrial network.
- Höttges says the established mobile industry should take the threat seriously.

## Summary

Deutsche Telekom chief executive Tim Höttges says SpaceX would need at least $200 billion to establish Starlink Mobile as a major US wireless carrier. He welcomed the potential competitor while stressing the cost and complexity of building a network in an industry that established operators have developed over decades.

SpaceX plans to combine direct-to-cell satellites with a terrestrial network to compete with T-Mobile, AT&T and Verizon. Höttges said SpaceX has acquired 76 megahertz of spectrum, compared with Deutsche Telekom’s 400, and estimated that renting towers could cost another $20 billion to $30 billion; the company may also need to fund antennas and other infrastructure. Reports have suggested SpaceX could use up to 80,000 US cell towers or pursue Boost Mobile, and Qualcomm says it will provide cellular technology for the project.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.