Wedonay.com Report on Mar 7th, European telecommunications infrastructure company Cellnex stated at its headquarters in Barcelona, Spain, that Elon Musk has become an active supporter of its ground base station business. During the Mobile World Congress, Cellnex's Chief Strategy Officer Vincent Cuvillier pointed out that Musk had emphasized that satellites will not replace ground base stations, providing a strong defense for terrestrial networks.
Cellnex manages over 114,000 sites across Europe through a neutral host model, covering 85% of fiber optic and connectivity areas in France, Spain, and Poland. CEO Marco Patuano said: "We share a common interest with mobile network operators, which is stronger support for investment," and called for reduced spectrum fees to free up funds. Satellite communication serves only as a supplement to terrestrial networks, particularly in providing basic coverage in "dead zone" areas.
The company is not solely focused on ground operations. Cuvillier revealed that Cellnex has a small stake in a Spanish satellite constellation and distributes television and radio signals via satellite. At the Collserola Tower in Barcelona, a 20-kilometer optical link enables it to function as an optical ground station, capable of downloading secure quantum keys directly from satellites. Chief Commercial Officer Oscar Pallarols said: "From a ground perspective, information encryption is crucial, and this will be quantum communication. Our sites could become trusted nodes."
Cellnex plays a significant role in the mission-critical network of the Catalan Emergency Coordination Center. A representative confirmed that services like Starlink still serve as supplements to its private network. Global Head of Sales and Marketing Excellence Antoni Liria explained: "It can only be a backup network for emergency services. The cost of broadband deployment increases exponentially, so the best decision for governments is to invest in satellites as a supplement. I don't think it will become the primary network; rather, it will be part of a balanced approach." This underscores the core position of the ground base station business, with satellite communication serving as an auxiliary means.
