SpaceX mobile network could cost up to $130 billion, Bernstein says

Analyst
โดย Yahoo Finance·US·Read original
Summary · why it matters

Bernstein analyst Douglas Harned estimates that building a SpaceX mobile network to compete with T-Mobile, AT&T, and Verizon could cost between $50 billion and $130 billion. In a note on Monday, Harned said SpaceX is still most likely to partner for its mobile business, but the company continues to indicate a terrestrial buildout is possible. He noted that estimates for a greenfield network range from $15 billion to $200 billion, with common approaches based on Dish's build, which spent about $7.4 billion in cash capex from 2020 to 2024 for roughly 24,000 sites and 268 million pops. SpaceX's total capital expenditures in the second quarter were $18.4 billion, far above analyst estimates of around $6 billion, and JPMorgan analysts project SpaceX will spend $200 billion or more on capex in 2027 and 2028. Shares have rallied from an intraday low of $104.83 on August 3 to $142 on August 31, but MoffettNathanson's Julie Zhu remains cautious, questioning what SpaceX is and staying on the sidelines until expectations reset.

Impact on stocks 7

Cloud & Digital Infrastructure · 4 stocks
AT&T Inc.
T
± MixedCompetitionrelevance

SpaceX's potential mobile network could compete with AT&T, but article notes partnership is most likely.

T-Mobile US Inc
TMUS
± MixedCompetitionrelevance

SpaceX's potential mobile network could compete with T-Mobile, but article notes partnership is most likely.

Verizon Communications Inc
VZ
± MixedCompetitionrelevance

SpaceX's potential mobile network could compete with Verizon, but article notes partnership is most likely.

Space Economy · 2 stocks
Digital Finance & Tokenization · 1 stocks

Theme Impact 1

Off-coverage companies 1

Bernstein (Societe Generale / AllianceBernstein JV)Private± Mixed
relevance

Related news

Morgan Stanley Sees 99% Upside in SpaceX Ahead of Starship Orbital Test

Morgan Stanley analyst Adam Jonas reiterated a Buy rating and $300 price target on SpaceX, implying roughly 99% upside, as investors await Starship's first orbital test on September 22. The 14th Starship flight is expected to send the vehicle into orbit and deploy 26 Starlink V3 satellites, tying the launch directly to one of SpaceX's biggest growth businesses. CEO Elon Musk has said Starlink V3 deployment will begin in September and that the next-generation satellites could eventually deliver more than 100 times the bandwidth of the current constellation. Bernstein analyst Douglas Harned maintained an Outperform rating with a $248 target, implying about 64% upside, and said gaining Starship reusability to enable orbital data centers remains most important for SpaceX's valuation; he expects the Connectivity business to generate more than $100 billion in EBITDA by 2031. William Blair analyst Louis DiPalma called the latest deal SpaceXAI's fourth compute agreement in the past four months exceeding $11 billion in ARR, while Wall Street's average SpaceX price target stands at $232.07, implying about 54% upside.
GuruFocus·14hRead more →

United Airlines Taps DISH OnStream for Live Inflight TV via Starlink

United Airlines Holdings has signed a deal with DISH to bring live streaming content to onboard passengers using DISH's OnStream platform over United's Starlink connectivity. Starting this week, United customers can watch live professional and college football games on Starlink-enabled seatback screens on domestic flights, with broadcasts from ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, FS1, ESPN, ESPN2, NFL Network and TNF on Prime Video available on more than 200 Starlink-equipped airplanes. Starlink is free for MileagePlus members in every class of service, and United expects to complete installations before the end of 2027; the service is now active on more than 560 United mainline and United Express aircraft. United has already flown more than 31 million passengers on Starlink-powered aircraft across more than 464,000 flights, powering 14.2 million devices. The agreement follows United's earlier Starlink tie-ups, including an ESPN partnership that hosted a first-of-its-kind live Fantasy Football Draft from 30,000 feet and onboard streaming of the biggest soccer tournament in the world on domestic flights.
Zacks Investment Research·14hRead more →

AST SpaceMobile Hit With Securities Class Action Over Capital Claims and Insider Sales

A securities class action has been filed against AST SpaceMobile and several executives, alleging misleading statements about its capital strength, competitive position in satellite direct-to-cell services, and insider stock sales between March 4, 2025 and July 15, 2026. The lawsuit challenges earlier claims that AST SpaceMobile could fund its satellite constellation rollout without frequent dilution or heavier debt, directly testing one of the company's core investment pillars. The case lands against a backdrop of large convertible note offerings in late 2025 and 2026, with investors already digesting over US$3.0 billion in planned debt financings as AST SpaceMobile pushes toward its target of roughly 45 satellites in orbit by early 2027. The company's narrative projects $2.2 billion revenue and $190.9 million earnings by 2029, requiring 165.5% yearly revenue growth and an earnings increase of about $810 million from -$618.8 million today. Before the lawsuit, the most optimistic analysts assumed AST SpaceMobile could reach about US$2.6 billion of revenue and US$1.3 billion of earnings by 2029.
Simply Wall St·22hRead more →