History matters. Iridium’s original business model failed in part because it couldn’t compete effectively with terrestrial networks. The future isn’t satellites OR towers — it’s satellites AND towers.
- SpaceX needs ground infrastructure. Morgan Stanley identified towers, rooftops, and small cells as potential requirements for its expanding network.
- New competition = new customers. SpaceX could create an entirely new source of leasing demand for tower companies.
- Wall Street sees the opportunity. While major wireless carriers plunged, Crown Castle, American Tower, and SBA gained 6.5%–13.3%.
- Satellites can’t replace urban network capacity. Towers remain critical for capacity, speed, reliability, and dense populations.
But this time, we need to grow SMART — not just grow to grow.
We’ve seen what unchecked expansion can lead to: restructuring, financial pressure, and repeated layoffs. The next chapter needs to be different.
Organize. Refine. Improve efficiency. Strengthen the foundation. Then grow strategically. Build sustainable revenue, protect profitability, and invest where long-term demand supports it — not simply to get bigger.
The opportunity is ahead of us. Let’s learn from history instead of repeating it. Growth should create lasting value, not another cycle of expansion, cuts, and layoffs.