VZ · News · 20261106N

Competition and New Entrants

VERIZON COMMUNICATIONS INC · 2026-11-06 · Importance 17 · Surprise 24

Deutsche Telekom CEO Tim Höttges estimated that SpaceX would need at least €200 billion ($223.0 billion) to build a U.S. wireless carrier capable of competing with Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile. He cited a significant spectrum gap and the high cost of renting tower capacity as major barriers. Höttges nevertheless viewed SpaceX as a serious long-term threat, pointing to its vertical integration across chipsets, data centers, AI, and satellites.

Key facts

• Verizon gained 15.8% over the period in which AT&T declined 11.8% and T-Mobile declined 20.1%. source