The media learned about SpaceX's negotiations to lease 80,000 cell towers in the United States

SpaceX intends to gain access to at least 80,000 cellular facilities in the United States to create its own nationwide mobile operator. This was reported by Bloomberg on October 23, citing sources.

According to the agency, the company is discussing the lease of infrastructure with at least one major owner of cell towers. Among the possible partners is Crown Castle, one of the largest operators of such infrastructure in the United States.

Chris Hillabrant, the head of Crown Castle, confirmed the existence of negotiations with interested satellite telecommunications companies, but did not specify the names of potential customers. SpaceX will have to create a large-scale ground infrastructure for the new service. The company has already acquired a low-frequency spectrum and received permission to launch 15,000 satellites for direct connection of mobile phones.

"We will develop our ground—based networks to ensure ubiquitous connectivity wherever SpaceX and Starlink are allowed to operate," said the company's CEO, American entrepreneur Elon Musk.

According to him, the combination of satellite constellation and radio frequency spectrum will allow Starlink Mobile to enter the American market as a major mobile operator.

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Musk announced on October 21 that Tesla and SpaceX could merge, for which the first working groups have already been created. The entrepreneur stressed that there is still no need for a full-fledged merger of the two corporations into a single one, but drew attention to the fact that partial cooperation would allow both players to "gain a lot."