Deutsche Telekom CEO Tim Höttges isn't losing sleep over Elon Musk's wireless ambitions. Speaking on an earnings call Thursday, the head of T-Mobile's parent company cast doubt on SpaceX's plans to make Starlink Mobile a major carrier in the United States, greeting the effort with a pointed 'welcome to the party.'

The skepticism comes as SpaceX moves to expand Starlink beyond its satellite-broadband roots and into direct mobile service — a push that would put it in competition with the very carriers, T-Mobile included, that have partnered with Starlink on satellite-to-phone connectivity.

Höttges's confidence rests on the economics of terrestrial wireless. Incumbent carriers own dense networks of ground infrastructure, decades of spectrum holdings, and entrenched customer bases. Satellite-direct service has so far been a complement to that system — filling dead zones — rather than a substitute for it.

Still, incumbents dismissing Musk ventures has an uneven track record as a predictive signal. Whether Starlink Mobile becomes a genuine fourth-carrier threat or stays a niche coverage layer, T-Mobile's parent is publicly betting on the latter.