SpaceX Plans Starlink Mobile Service by End of 2027, Challenging Major U.S. Carriers

Product / TechM&A · Partnership
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Summary · why it matters

SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell announced on an earnings call that Starlink Mobile will begin service at the end of 2027, aiming to acquire customers from AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile. The plan sent shares of all three carriers lower on Wednesday before they rebounded Thursday, with T-Mobile gaining 3.75%, AT&T 2.82%, and Verizon 1.12%. T-Mobile CEO Srini Gopalan told the Financial Times the threat is exaggerated, arguing satellites will remain complementary to cellular networks. Starlink's current direct-to-phone service uses about 5 MHz of borrowed spectrum, but following FCC approval of two SpaceX deals totaling $19.6 billion for 65 MHz of EchoStar spectrum with terrestrial rights, and a planned tenfold increase in next-generation mobile satellites, Shotwell said the upgraded service could be roughly 100 times more capable. Analysts remain skeptical, with Craig Moffett of MoffettNathanson telling Reuters it is extraordinarily challenging to imagine a competitive direct-to-consumer service within five years. Shotwell acknowledged the need for a terrestrial component, describing a plan to attach small cellular base stations to Starlink dish mounts rather than building large towers.

Impact on stocks 6

Cloud & Digital Infrastructure▼ · 4 stocks
AT&T Inc.
T
▼ NegativeCompetitionrelevance

SpaceX plans to challenge AT&T with Starlink Mobile service.

T-Mobile US Inc
TMUS
▼ NegativeCompetitionrelevance

SpaceX plans to challenge T-Mobile with Starlink Mobile service.

Space Economy▲ · 2 stocks
EchoStar Corporation
ECHO
▲ PositiveRegulationrelevance

FCC approval of $19.6B spectrum deals with terrestrial rights boosts EchoStar's value.

Theme Impact 2

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