Musk has acquired 76 megahertz of spectrum, but we hold 400 megahertz. The math shows that acquiring comparable spectrum would require hundreds of billions of dollars. Assuming he has the capital, building a network would still be a major undertaking. Our network includes 85,000 towers; he could lease them, but that would add another $20‑30 billion to the cost.
Deploying antennas is another essential component, whether purchased outright, sourced more affordably, or built using novel methods—each requires capital. Based on this analysis, I estimate that SpaceX would need a minimum of roughly $200 billion to enter the wireless market. Given the industry’s maturation over the past two decades, the barrier to entry remains substantial.
