$180 billion is the rough price tag analysts attached to a SpaceX acquisition of T-Mobile, arguing Starlink's satellite network and T-Mobile's terrestrial wireless service could create near-constant global internet coverage.
6% of U.S. FCC-licensed spectrum is all Starlink currently holds, and satellite links still lag terrestrial 5G on speed, capacity and congestion—limiting what SpaceX would add for T-Mobile beyond remote-area coverage.
AT&T and Verizon already back AST SpaceMobile, so owning T-Mobile could turn SpaceX from neutral infrastructure partner into direct competitor and shut it out of much of the broader mobile market.
12 million direct-to-device customers and 4.6 million additions last year suggest Starlink is growing fast enough organically, while Deutsche Telekom's majority stake and likely antitrust scrutiny add more obstacles than upside.