Starlink's mobile ambitions could run into a wall of steel and concrete
Industry analyst Benedict Evans argues that SpaceX's Starlink faces significant physical and economic hurdles in becoming a mainstream mobile carrier. He suggests that the infrastructure required to overcome signal blockage in urban environments may undermine the service's profitability.
Why it matters
It challenges the feasibility of satellite-based mobile networks competing directly with established terrestrial telecom giants.
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying Starlink satellites leaves a trail above Pasadena, California. Mario Tama/Getty Images SpaceX says Starlink could provide 'better service' than AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile by next year. That might be easier said than done, an analyst who studied the telecom industry for decades says. Benedict Evans said Starlink would need to build large numbers of base stations to make it work. An analyst is throwing cold water on Starlink's ambition to become a mainstream mobile carrier. In a recent earnings call, SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell said she expected Starlink to provide better service than the Big Three wireless carriers — AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile — by the end of 2027. Benedict Evans, a former Andreessen Horowitz partner who spent decades studying mobile technology, however, said complications with providing service in urban areas would likely stymie such a plan.
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