Verizon chief executive Dan Schulman told investors on the US carrier’s latest earnings call that he is assuming SpaceX will launch its Starlink Mobile phone service, and that Verizon intends to fight it head-on, SDxCentral reported on 26 October 2026. The remarks landed the same week that Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile were pressing the US Federal Communications Commission to tighten the rules under which satellites can talk directly to ordinary phones, according to Notebookcheck.
The numbers at a glance
| Figure | What it refers to | Source |
|---|---|---|
| $300bn–$500bn | Schulman’s estimate of what a matching SpaceX terrestrial network would cost, spread over seven to eight years | SDxCentral |
| 4–6 years | Minimum time Schulman says a full terrestrial build-out would take once it starts | SDxCentral |
| At least 80,000 | US cell sites SpaceX is seeking access to | Notebookcheck |
| 800 MHz / about $8bn | Low-band spectrum SpaceX agreed to buy from Grain Management, and its reported value | Notebookcheck |
| 482 MHz | Additional spectrum the FCC’s 29 October direct-to-cell item would open to satellites | Notebookcheck |
| 15,000 | Direct-to-phone satellites the FCC cleared on 6 October | Notebookcheck |
| About 1,700 MHz | Millimetre-wave spectrum Verizon says it will turn into gigabit fixed wireless | SDxCentral |
Why it matters
Notebookcheck notes that the fourth-network slot in the US market has stood empty since DISH, the US pay-TV operator, abandoned its build in 2025, when EchoStar sold its spectrum to AT&T and SpaceX. Reading Starlink Mobile as the best-funded candidate to fill that slot is an inference from the two reports, not a claim either outlet makes.
For readers tracking satellite internet rather than US carrier politics, the stake is capacity. How much spectrum a direct-to-phone constellation is allowed to use shapes whether satellite internet reaches handsets as a full-service plan with its own pricing, or stays a thin fallback layer resold as an add-on by the carriers it would otherwise compete with. Both the 29 October vote and CTIA’s attempt to fence off bands bear on that question, though neither source says the outcome decides it.
Schulman’s four-to-six-year framing reads as an argument about availability rather than technology: on SDxCentral’s account he did not say SpaceX cannot serve cities without a ground network, only that building the equivalent of Verizon’s would take years and cost hundreds of billions.
Both outlets describe United States deployments only; neither reports anything on African availability or licensing.
What Schulman said Verizon expects SpaceX to do
Schulman said his operating assumption is that SpaceX launches and executes flawlessly, and that assuming anything else makes no sense, SDxCentral reported. He claimed Verizon already knows SpaceX’s requests for information, which tower companies it is talking to and who it is approaching to install terrestrial equipment.
He then laid out what he believes that entails: tens of thousands of macro sites, backhaul combining fibre and possibly some form of satellite, radio access network equipment, and what he called a tremendous amount of spectrum.
“It’s very hard to throw a punch against something that doesn’t exist, but once they come into the market, we will be ferociously competitive,” Schulman said, according to SDxCentral. He added that Verizon looked forward to punching back hard in four to six years, and argued that after all that spending SpaceX would end up with the same network, capabilities and cost structure Verizon has today.
Towers and femtocells
Notebookcheck reports that Crown Castle, one of the largest US tower owners alongside American Tower and Vertical Bridge, is among the companies in talks. Its chief executive did not confirm details but said the company is speaking to all parties, including Amazon and other satellite providers.
Crown Castle climbs 10% as carrier stocks fall
Crown Castle shares rose as much as 10% after the report, while AT&T and T-Mobile each closed nearly 8% lower, Notebookcheck reports.
Why femtocells are not a substitute for towers
SpaceX had already said it would use home internet hardware — the Starlink Standard Kit sold on Amazon — to emit mobile signals around customer installations, matching its earlier femtocell pitch. Analysts cited by Notebookcheck say the weakness is that those units sit where subscribers already live, not necessarily where a network needs coverage, which is the gap tower leases would fill. T-Mobile’s chief financial officer reportedly estimated it would take around a billion femtocells to match macro tower coverage outdoors, and Notebookcheck notes small cells struggle with walls and car glass.
The regulatory fight
Ahead of the 29 October vote, carrier lobby group CTIA has asked the commission to keep satellite operators out of the 2.5 GHz and 3.45 GHz bands, and to apply to satellite operators the same performance metrics it deems appropriate for terrestrial providers, specifically in a revised 1675 MHz further notice, Notebookcheck reports. CTIA’s letter does not name SpaceX. The three carriers have also launched their own satellite joint venture.
Low-band airwaves penetrate walls far better than satellite-friendly frequencies, which is why SpaceX’s agreement to buy 800 MHz of low-band spectrum from Grain Management carries more weight than the price tag suggests. In remarks from the SpaceX earnings call reported by Notebookcheck, Elon Musk said those airwaves and the 15,000 direct-to-phone satellites cleared this month would make Starlink Mobile a major mobile carrier. Verizon’s view that SpaceX still needs ground infrastructure echoes how SpaceX’s plans to lease up to 80,000 US cell sites have been read elsewhere in the industry.
Verizon’s counter-offer: faster fixed wireless and AI fibre
Schulman set out what Verizon intends to sell against it, SDxCentral reported:
- Enhanced fixed wireless before year-end. An “innovative solution” that turns the carrier’s millimetre-wave holdings into 1 Gb/s service in metro areas. Schulman did not detail the technical innovation.
- Up to 15 million FWA connections. The standing target of nine million by 2028 would now be exceeded, he said.
- Fibre passing 50 million customers over the next several years. Verizon recently moved to acquire fixed-wireless provider Starry to expand its multi-dwelling-unit plans.
- About $4 billion in signed fibre contracts. A $2 billion dark fiber agreement with Amazon Web Services follows a $1 billion deal with Google earlier this year, with further hyperscalers, neocloud providers and large enterprises in negotiation. Revenue impact begins in 2027.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is Starlink Mobile due to launch in the United States?
SpaceX’s chief financial officer has moved the US launch to the first half of 2028, rather than 2027, according to Notebookcheck.
How much extra spectrum is at stake in the FCC’s 29 October vote?
The direct-to-cell item would open an additional 482 MHz to satellite operators, according to Notebookcheck — roughly 60% more than the 800 MHz block SpaceX separately agreed to buy from Grain Management.
Could Verizon resell Starlink Mobile through an MVNO deal instead of fighting it?
Schulman rejected that idea on the earnings call, saying there is no benefit to Verizon extending a mobile virtual network operator deal to SpaceX, SDxCentral reported. He also said there are no back doors through which Verizon’s existing MVNO partners could hand Starlink terrestrial access.
What is CTIA asking the FCC for beyond keeping satellites out of specific bands?
The lobby group also wants carriers to be able to approve and terminate spectrum leases, and satellite operators held to the same consumer protection standards as terrestrial carriers, according to Notebookcheck.
![Using Your Own Router with Starlink: Bypass Mode [2026]](https://starlink-news.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/using-your-own-router-with-starlink-bypass-mode-20-f6c09f95-120x86.png)
Comments 2