SpaceX details Starlink Mobile plan to challenge major carriers

On its first public earnings call on August 4, 2026, SpaceX president Gwynne Shotwell detailed plans to build a terrestrial mobile network on the roughly 65 MHz of nationwide mid-band spectrum acquired in the EchoStar deal, directly challenging AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile in the roughly $600 billion US wireless market. SpaceX aims to fly next-generation Starlink Mobile satellites in 2027 and reach its first standalone-service customers by the end of that year, with AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile shares falling 2-4% on the news.