SpaceX is looking to get into the mobile phone business, and it could end up competing directly with Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile.
According to the Financial Times, SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell mentioned during a recent IPO roadshow that the company is actively looking at launching its own retail Starlink mobile product, and may even build its own ground-based mobile network in the U.S. to make it happen.
Right now, SpaceX just partners with carriers like T-Mobile, using satellites to fill in coverage gaps where regular cell towers can’t reach. A standalone retail service would skip the carrier middleman entirely, letting SpaceX sell mobile plans straight to consumers.
The groundwork is already there. SpaceX has spent roughly $17 billion on wireless spectrum licenses from EchoStar, plus another $2.6 billion deal in November to beef up its direct-to-cell tech.
Satellite internet is already a big part of SpaceX’s business, pulling in $11.39 billion of its $18.67 billion total revenue in 2025. But going up against carriers with decades of infrastructure and loyal customers won’t be easy.
No pricing or launch date yet. This is still early days.
Any sort of standalone Starlink Mobile service that bypasses traditional wireless carriers would be huge, as many people want more choices. But for now it seems more capacity is needed and once Starship is up and running, that will allow SpaceX to send up larger Starlink Direct-to-Cell satellites.
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