SpaceX Negotiates Boost Mobile Deal for Hybrid Network
SpaceX is in talks to acquire Boost Mobile or its network from EchoStar to launch a hybrid satellite-terrestrial wireless service in the United States.
Space Exploration Technologies Corp. is negotiating with EchoStar to acquire Boost Mobile or secure access to its network. The move is designed to support the launch of Starlink Mobile, a hybrid satellite-terrestrial network that would combine SpaceX's satellite constellation with ground-based infrastructure to compete directly with AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile.
Elon Musk met with EchoStar chairman Charlie Ergen last month to discuss the potential arrangement. Because Boost Mobile currently leases its network from AT&T and T-Mobile, the deal may require consent from those carriers before it can be finalized. EchoStar currently manages approximately 7.38 million wireless subscribers across Boost Mobile and Gen Mobile.
The prospect of SpaceX entering the wireless market has already pressured telecom stocks, following a previous $8 billion spectrum deal by the company.
