SpaceX洽谈接入至少8万个美国基站站点：谋建第四家全国性无线运营商
据路透社报道，SpaceX 正与 Crown Castle 等基站运营商洽谈，寻求接入至少 8 万个美国移动通信基站站点，约占全美约 15.85 万个专用基站的一半，为打造第四家全国性无线运营商铺路。卫星通信在人口稠密地区存在容量与室内覆盖短板，地面基站网络被视为其手机直连业务落地的关键拼图。
投行 TD Cowen 估算，建成一张有竞争力的全国性地面网络，耗资可能超过 800 亿美元。消息传出后，AT&T、Verizon 与 T-Mobile 三大运营商股价盘后下跌 4.2% 至 5%；基站运营商股价则上涨，Crown Castle 盘后一度涨约 10%，American Tower 涨约 5%。Crown Castle 首席执行官 Chris Hillabrant 本周在财报电话会上被问及是否与 SpaceX 等卫星运营商洽谈租赁时表示：「可以假设我们正在与所有相关方洽谈。」
SpaceX 此前已通过收购低频段频谱、推进星链手机直连服务布局移动市场。若 8 万站点的接入谈判落地，其地面覆盖将首次具备与三大运营商正面竞争的规模。（GSM 据路透社）
来源：GSM·美国
SpaceX in Talks to Access at Least 80,000 U.S. Cell Sites: A Bid to Build a Fourth National Wireless Carrier
SpaceX is in talks with tower operators including Crown Castle to access at least 80,000 U.S. cell sites, roughly half of the approximately 158,500 purpose-built towers operating in the country, as it works toward building a fourth nationwide wireless carrier, Reuters reported. Satellite service has capacity and indoor-coverage limits in dense areas, and a terrestrial tower network is seen as the key missing piece for its direct-to-cell phone business.
TD Cowen estimates that building a fully competitive nationwide ground network could cost more than $80 billion. After the news broke, shares of AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile each fell between 4.2% and 5% in after-hours trading, while tower operators rose: Crown Castle climbed as much as about 10% after hours and American Tower gained about 5%. Asked on an earnings call this week whether Crown Castle was in leasing talks with SpaceX and other satellite providers, CEO Chris Hillabrant said: 'You can assume that we're talking to all parties.'
SpaceX has already been moving into the mobile market through a low-band spectrum acquisition and its Starlink direct-to-cell service. If access to 80,000 sites is secured, its ground coverage would for the first time be at a scale to compete head-on with the big three carriers. (GSM, based on Reuters reporting)
Source: GSM · America
来源：GSM·美国（原文链接）
图片来源：移动通信基站天线（资料图）。照片：Eclypes2008，CC0，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / Mobile communications base station antennas (file photo). Photo: Eclypes2008, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
