Elon Musk’s SpaceX is in talks with EchoStar’s Boost Mobile for an acquisition or partnership to gain access into the mobile telecommunications market, according to a report from The Washington Post.
SpaceX’s satellite internet division, Starlink, has seen rapid operational expansion, reaching $5.2 billion in third-quarter revenue alongside profit margins exceeding 65%. Supported by a network of over 11,000 active satellites servicing 13.6 million subscribers internationally—up nearly 90% from the prior year—Starlink nonetheless lacks the ground-level infrastructure and low-frequency radio spectrum required to deliver full nationwide cellular connectivity.
Targeting Boost Mobile offers a turn-key solution to bridge these hardware gaps. However, because Boost operates as a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) that leases capacity from incumbents AT&T and T-Mobile rather than owning physical cell towers, transferring those access agreements to a new entity poses a major hurdle.
Attaining wireless capacity through Boost would allow SpaceX to circumvent direct rejections from established network operators. Major U.S. carriers have repeatedly rebuffed Musk’s requests for direct wholesale network access, with T-Mobile’s leadership explicitly ruling out any prospective MVNO hosting arrangement during an earnings call in late October.
Market analysts, including representation from Barclays, indicate that existing capacity-sharing contracts typically require formal consent from both AT&T and T-Mobile prior to any ownership transfer. Given the incumbents’ persistent refusal to host SpaceX on their networks, securing authorization to take over Boost’s lease arrangements remains highly uncertain.
In equity markets, SpaceX shares edged up 1.2% during regular trading before gaining an additional 0.6% in post-market sessions to trade at $137.20.
