Verizon Chief Executive Dan Schulman has estimated that SpaceX could need up to $500bn, 80,000 cell towers and as many as eight years to build a US mobile network comparable to Verizon’s, Business Insider reported.
Speaking during Verizon’s third-quarter earnings call on Monday, Schulman said building a rival network would require extensive infrastructure, including large cell towers connected through satellites and fibre-optic cables.
He estimated that the initial network could take at least four to six years to build, with additional time needed to establish retail outlets, customer service operations and back-office systems.
However, SpaceX owner Elon Musk challenged the timeline, responding on X that the project “will take 2 or 3 years”.
“I also operate under the assumption that everything SpaceX says they will do, they will do, and that they will execute flawlessly,” Schulman said.
However, Schulman said satellite connectivity alone would not be sufficient to compete in towns and cities, which account for about 98 per cent of Verizon’s revenue.
“We’re somewhere between 100 to 1000 times more efficient than they are,” he said.
Musk disputed Schulman’s estimate, writing on X after the call that the project “will take 2 or 3 years”.
SpaceX told investors in June that it planned to sell mobile phone plans directly to consumers in the United States. The company’s recent moves have unsettled established wireless carriers, with its expansion plans drawing attention across the industry this month.
