Verizon CEO plays down SpaceX satellite threat

Verizon CEO Dan Schulman said on the Q3 earnings call that matching terrestrial operators would require SpaceX 65,000–80,000 macro sites and $300–500 billion over seven to eight years. He ruled out an MVNO deal with a satellite provider.

• SpaceX is seeking access to 80,000 US cell sites for Starlink Mobile
• Schulman estimates a full network build at 4–6 years and $300–500 billion
• Verizon will not sign an MVNO deal with a satellite operator
• SpaceX's D2D service is expected to launch in early 2028