T-Mobile CFO dismisses SpaceX cellular ambitions

T-Mobile’s outgoing CFO, Peter Osvaldik, has dismissed SpaceX’s plans to provide mobile cellular coverage as a non-competitive threat. Speaking at the Citi 2026 Global TMT Conference, Osvaldik characterized SpaceX’s proposed strategy as “laughable” and “not fathomable.”

SpaceX has previously outlined a vision for Starlink Mobile that utilizes both satellites and small, low-power cellular base stations, known as femtocells, attached to Starlink broadband dishes. This approach aims to provide coverage in dense urban areas and indoor environments where satellite signals often struggle.

However, Osvaldik argued that the femtocell strategy is flawed, suggesting that over a billion such units would be required to achieve equivalent outdoor coverage, leading to significant interference and backhaul issues. He also noted that SpaceX lacks the necessary radio spectrum to compete with major US carriers and estimated that the cost of building a comparable ground network could exceed $100 billion.