SpaceX eyes US carrier acquisition for its growing cellular ambitions

SpaceX kicked off the fourth quarter of 2026 with a bang, and it won’t let the momentum it’s built slow down. In early October, the company announced it had struck an $8 billion agreement to acquire 800MHz spectrum to improve Starlink Mobile’s indoor coverage. Fast-forward to now, and we might finally know how the Elon Musk-led company plans to take on the carrier giants without starting from scratch.

In classic Musk fashion, the answer might lie in buying his way into the competition.

For reference, when SpaceX first announced that it had an agreement in place to acquire the low-band spectrum, we reported that the company would still face major infrastructure challenges before it could meaningfully compete with other carriers.

That concern only grew when T-Mobile’s parent company, Deutsche Telekom, cast doubt on SpaceX’s plans and warned against giving it the MVNO treatment. SpaceX is now looking to completely avoid that roadblock, and it could do so by acquiring Boost Mobile, as reported by The Washington Post.

Interestingly, Boost Mobile already leases network from AT&T and T-Mobile, two of the companies that SpaceX is looking to challenge with its venture. According to the report, SpaceX is already in talks with Boost Mobile’s parent company, EchoStar.

Reportedly, the Musk-led company could either acquire Boost Mobile outright or strike a separate agreement that would allow SpaceX to use the networks Boost already has access to.

Either of those outcomes could accelerate SpaceX’s plans. It would give the company an existing and established wireless customer base, alongside systems and operations needed to run a carrier business, including core networks, customer support infrastructure, and retail presence.

It’s unclear if AT&T and T-Mobile would let their current agreements with Boost Mobile port over to SpaceX if an acquisition does take place. T-Mobile would essentially be going against its own warning if it allowed SpaceX to use its network to build a competing wireless service.

As we reported last month, SpaceX isn’t putting all its eggs in one basket. The company is reportedly also in talks with at least one major network infrastructure provider to secure roughly 80,000 cell sites in the US — a move that could help it establish its own on-ground infrastructure without relying on other players.

What could this mean for Boost Mobile users?

If SpaceX simply strikes an agreement to use networks Boost already has access to, nothing will change for existing Boost users.

If SpaceX does acquire the MVNO, it likely wouldn’t necessarily mean an immediate change either. Changes might come further down the line, if and when SpaceX establishes itself as a full-fledged wireless carrier. In theory, that could mean Boost Mobile users would have the best of both worlds. They’ll have access to traditional cellular coverage in cities and satellite connectivity in underserved areas, all through a single provider.

Note that none of the companies involved have officially acknowledged that they’re in talks, let alone announced a deal.