The potential deal could serve as a shortcut to establish SpaceX as a mobile phone carrier.
SpaceX may have found a potential way to bypass its way into the mobile carrier industry via Boost Mobile. As first reported by The Washington PostElon Musk’s company has held talks with Boost Mobile’s parent company, EchoStar, in recent months, which could see SpaceX provide “its own signature wireless service” through the existing network.
According to Washington PostAccording to sources, the deal could involve SpaceX buying Boost Mobile outright or gaining access to its cellular network, which is leased from AT&T and T-Mobile. There could be a major hitch with the deal, however, because SpaceX’s potential cell phone service would need the green light from these major mobile carriers, according to the report. The Washington Post also reported that major cell companies, which include AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon, have already denied Musk access to their cell networks to launch a separate SpaceX service.
No deal has been confirmed yet, but the talks between SpaceX and EchoStar shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone paying attention to the company’s recent affairs. Last year, SpaceX bought $2.6 billion in spectrum licenses from EchoStar, which will be used to improve its 5G connections from the Starlink network. More recently, Starlink confirmed its plans to become a “Major Mobile Carrier in the United States” and made another major acquisition in hopes of achieving that goal.