--- title: "SpaceX Hits Back at T-Mobile’s ‘Misplaced Desire’ to Harm Starlink by Opposing ‘Modernized’ Spectrum Rules" type: "News" locale: "en" url: "https://longbridge.com/en/news/303744264.md" description: "SpaceX urged the FCC to reject T-Mobile and AFTRCC's proposed spectrum limits, arguing they protect legacy telecom firms and hinder Starlink's direct-to-cell service. SpaceX criticized these entities for opposing modernized rules that would expand connectivity in underserved areas. Meanwhile, Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile executives expressed skepticism about SpaceX's ability to compete with traditional cellular providers, citing technological and regulatory hurdles." datetime: "2026-10-30T11:52:52.000Z" locales: - [zh-CN](https://longbridge.com/zh-CN/news/303744264.md) - [en](https://longbridge.com/en/news/303744264.md) - [zh-HK](https://longbridge.com/zh-HK/news/303744264.md) generator: "portal-rs" --- # SpaceX Hits Back at T-Mobile’s ‘Misplaced Desire’ to Harm Starlink by Opposing ‘Modernized’ Spectrum Rules Billionaire **Elon Musk**-led **Space Exploration Technologies Corp.** (NASDAQ:SPCX) slammed legacy telecom operators like **T-Mobile US Inc.** (NASDAQ:TMUS) in a letter to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) over the agency’s proposed spectrum rule changes. ## SpaceX Slams ‘Misplaced Desire’ In the letter dated October 28, SpaceX said that the agency should reject the “technically unsound recommendations from the Aerospace and Flight Test Radio Coordinating Council (AFTRCC) and T-Mobile,” which want power limits on satellite transmissions, saying the signals could interfere with flight telemetry tracking systems. “Unfortunately, the misplaced desire to harm a competitor has led many incumbents to oppose modernized rules that would bring direct-to-cell service to underserved border communities,” SpaceX said. “AFTRCC is now purely a lobbying organization whose mission is to protect legacy companies and their comments should not be viewed as independent or objective,” SpaceX alleged in the letter. ## Base Station Protection SpaceX also slammed T-Mobile’s base station protection demands, which, the commercial space flight giant says, would create 250-mile-wide buffer zones around cell towers, which would lead to “disenfranchising millions from direct-to- cell service in the countries where the limit is applied.” SpaceX urged the FCC to reject the base station protection plea from T-Mobile. SpaceX also said that the cell tower antennas were directional and therefore “inherently more resilient to interference” from satellite signals and transmissions. “The Commission should not adopt T-Mobile’s proposed limits for base-station protection,” SpaceX said in the letter. **Read Also: T-Mobile Shares Lose Signal as SpaceX Reportedly Seeks 80,000 Cell Sites to Build a Rival Carrier** Earlier this month, Musk had predicted that the telecom industry was about to experience an “earthquake” after SpaceX acquired 800 MHz spectrum. ## Verizon CEO on SpaceX The letter comes as **Verizon Communications Inc.** (NYSE:VZ) CEO **Dan Schulman**, during the telecom operator’s recent Q3 2026 earnings call, said that SpaceX would have to spend $500 billion to compete with traditional cellular service providers. Other telecom company executives have also been skeptical of SpaceX’s cellular service, which would rely on femtocells, which are small cellular base stations that improve connectivity. **AT&T Inc.**‘s (NYSE: T) CEO **John Stankey** had dismissed Starlink’s mobile service talks, saying that the technology had to overcome regulatory hurdles, as well as technological limitations. On the other hand, T-Mobile’s CFO **Pete Osvaldik** also remained skeptical about Starlink’s threat to telecom operators. “You can have a million satellites up there with all the spectrum in the world; you can’t break the fundamental laws of physics,” he said. **Read Also: Elon Musk Says SpaceX's Starlink Is Rewriting Telecom With ‘Entirely New Pieces’ as T-Mobile, AT&T and Verizon Downplay the Threat: ‘They Don't Understand’** Image via Shutterstock ### Related Stocks - [SPCX.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/SPCX.US.md) - [TMUS.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/TMUS.US.md) - [DSPC.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/DSPC.US.md) - [LOFF.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/LOFF.US.md) - [SNK.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/SNK.US.md) - [SPAL.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/SPAL.US.md) - [SPCF.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/SPCF.US.md) - [SPCG.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/SPCG.US.md) - [SPCH.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/SPCH.US.md) - [SPCM.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/SPCM.US.md) - [SPCU.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/SPCU.US.md) - [SSPC.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/SSPC.US.md) - [YSPC.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/YSPC.US.md) - [T.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/T.US.md) - [VZ.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/VZ.US.md) ## Related News & Research - [T-Mobile Says No to Elon Musk's Disruption Bid on Verizon, AT&T](https://longbridge.com/en/news/303768620.md) - [Segment Wealth Management LLC Buys New Stake in SpaceX $SPCX](https://longbridge.com/en/news/303209718.md) - [SpaceX $SPCX Stock: Sigma Planning Corp Increases Stake](https://longbridge.com/en/news/303200739.md) - [SpaceX’s Starlink Could Be a 'New Customer at Scale' for American Tower](https://longbridge.com/en/news/303421481.md) - [Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile are trying to shut Starlink out before FCC vote](https://longbridge.com/en/news/303465649.md) --- > **Disclaimer: This article is for reference only and does not constitute any investment advice.**