Infrawatch

Starlink’s Cinderella problem: Strand Consult on why satellites can’t just replace the towers

2026-11-02T10:33:00

Starlink’s Cinderella problem: Strand Consult on why satellites can’t just replace the towers

Source: Starlink

Guest analysis: As Starlink becomes an increasingly important force in connectivity, Strand Consult argues that satellite scale should not be confused with terrestrial-network replacement. Ten common claims are tested against spectrum, capacity, regulation, investment, and the economics of keeping a LEO constellation operating.

This article includes:

  • Themes: Direct-to-cell (D2C); Direct-to-device (D2D); Fixed broadband; Low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellites; Mobile virtual network operator (MVNO); Rural connectivity; Satellite broadband; Satellite economics; Spectrum; Terrestrial networks.
  • People: Elon Musk; John Strand; Kim Larsen.
  • Geographic: Europe; US.
  • Organisations: AT&T; Barclays Investment Bank; Deutsche Telekom (DT); EchoStar; SpaceX; Starlink; Strand Consult; T-Mobile US; Telefónica; Verizon; Vodafone.

Register for free to continue reading this article

Already registered? Sign in here.

Join the TelcoTitans community and continue reading this article

By registering for a free account, you will get immediate access to the rest of this article, plus:

  • Access to several articles per month
  • TelcoTitans weekly newsletter

“The detail is very good. Better than we get internally.” – GM, Vodafone OpCo 

Register now

 Want full access to TelcoTitans content? Check out our subscription options.