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SpaceX reveals launch window for mobile service to take down the Big Three "cartel"

SpaceX's CFO explains why the Big Three are terrified of Starlink.

By Anam Hamid

Published: Sep 14, 2026, 11:39 AM

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SpaceX is keeping its options open. | Image by SpaceX

AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon can question the viability of its plan all they want, but SpaceX isn't backing down from its mobile service ambitions. CFO Bret Johnsen revealed more details during the recent Goldman Sachs Communacopia + Technology Conference.

Coming in 2028

SpaceX plans to roll out "5G-quality" mobile satellite services for smartphone users in the first half of 2028, a slight bump from its previous late-2027 target.

We'll be able to turn on a service that's completely differentiated from anything out there.

Bret Johnsen, SpaceX CFO, September 2026

The company will deploy its new, more capable V3 satellites throughout 2027 using Starship. Johnsen envisions something different from existing offerings and doesn't seem overly keen on building a terrestrial network, an option COO Gwynne Shotwell previously noted was on the table. So, what is the plan? SpaceX still seems to be working that out.

Johnsen made no mention of femtocells, a concept the company previously floated that drew mockery from industry veterans for being impractical.

For now, SpaceX is keeping its options open and assessing what other assets it might need.

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SpaceX holds some spectrum

SpaceX is not going into this blind.

Johnsen noted that the company can use the midband spectrum it purchased from EchoStar to activate service. It has regulatory approval for both direct-from-space service and terrestrial networks.

We've got the spectrum where we can go turn on service ... And it has direct-from-space and terrestrial capability already FCC approved. So if we need to, we can stand up terrestrial solutions to put the terrestrial piece in place, too, or we could work with existing carriers. We're open to a lot of different ways to do it, but we're marching down that path in the US.

Bret Johnsen, SpaceX CFO, September 2026

Of course, it could also team up with existing carriers, except for one tiny problem.

Here's how SpaceX plans to achieve its vision:

AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon have said no

Each of the Big Three has repeatedly refused to sign an MVNO agreement with SpaceX. That refusal means even partnering with a company like Charter wouldn't offer much of a workaround.

I'm not a lawyer, and I'll let them figure that out. But the point being, I think that the whole industry is seeing that we have the ability to deliver a service that will be really compelling for people.

Bret Johnsen, SpaceX CFO, September 2026

Johnsen derided the Big Three for failing to innovate for decades and suggested they are terrified Starlink will wipe out dead zones and provide true global roaming. He even went so far as to call their joint space venture a cartel.

The service you have is largely the same ... Now [with Starlink], you're talking about being able to come to market with a product that shouldn't have dead zones, can have global roaming, you can go anywhere you need to with it. And that's pretty magical, especially if you're charging same or slightly less than a service that doesn't have any of those things.

Bret Johnsen, SpaceX CFO, September 2026

Figuring it out as they go

Starlink is SpaceX's most profitable arm, so it makes sense the company wants a bigger slice of the connectivity market rather than settling for carrier partnerships. Johnsen's rhetoric may just be a sign how badly SpaceX wants a leverage point to force an MVNO agreement.

Its stash of 65MHz spectrum is no match for the Big Three's combined chest of 1,020MHz. It stayed mostly on the sidelines during the AWS-3 auction.

Then again, CEO Elon Musk is known for doing things differently. SpaceX doesn't want to replicate what AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon have, and thus doesn't need as much spectrum. It can still build a hybrid network with some basic terrestrial infrastructure and satellites.

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Anam Hamid is a computer scientist turned tech journalist who has a keen interest in the tech world, with a particular focus on smartphones and tablets. She has previously written for Android Headlines and has also been a ghostwriter for several tech and car publications. Anam is not a tech hoarder and believes in using her gadgets for as long as possible. She is concerned about smartphone addiction and its impact on future generations, but she also appreciates the convenience that phones have brought into our lives. Anam is excited about technological advancements like folding screens and under-display sensors, and she often wonders about the future of technology. She values the overall experience of a device more than its individual specs and admires companies that deliver durable, high-quality products. In her free time, Anam enjoys reading, scrolling through Reddit and Instagram, and occasionally refreshing her programming skills through tutorials.

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