Elon Musk says Starlink would rely on "a large number of small stations" instead of cell towers

On a recent earnings call, SpaceX president Gwynne Shotwell projected that Starlink would surpass AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile in service quality by the end of 2027. Former Andreessen Horowitz partner Benedict Evans pushed back, arguing that dense city environments with steel and concrete make satellite coverage difficult. In response, Musk said Starlink would rely on numerous compact transmitters instead of conventional cellular towers. Evans then questioned the economics, noting that urban and suburban areas generate most internet traffic and that Starlink would need to build or rent infrastructure there, potentially hurting profitability. Starlink Mobile currently works mainly as an emergency and remote-area satellite supplement, generating $1.66 billion in the second quarter.