Elon Musk’s SpaceX Needs at Least €200 Billion to Challenge US Telecom Giants, Says Deutsche Telekom CEO Tim…

Benzinga · Shomik Sen Bhattacharjee · 2026-11-06 12:35 UTC

Deutsche Telekom CEO says SpaceX needs at least $200B to challenge U.S. carriers as Starlink Mobile targets a 2027 rollout.

Elon Musk’s Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (NASDAQ:SPCX) would need at least €200 billion (about $220 billion) to challenge America’s established wireless carriers, Deutsche Telekom AG (OTC:DTEGY) CEO Tim Höttges warned on Thursday, welcoming the potential rival with a pointed message.

SpaceX Faces Massive Spectrum And Infrastructure Costs

Speaking during Deutsche Telekom’s Nov. 5 earnings call, Höttges said SpaceX had acquired 76 megahertz of spectrum against roughly 400 megahertz held by T-Mobile US Inc. (NASDAQ:TMUS), the German company’s U.S. subsidiary. Expanding that position would require "triple digit billions," he estimated. "If he has the money, go for it," he added, before welcoming Musk’s ambitions with a pointed "Welcome to the party."

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