SpaceX has discussed a deal with Boost Mobile that could give it its own mobile service in the US, The Washington Post reports. According to the report, relayed by The Verge, SpaceX could either buy the budget carrier or get access to its network. As of publication, neither SpaceX nor Boost Mobile had commented publicly on the talks.
What the SpaceX and Boost Mobile report says
Elon Musk discussed the potential agreement in October with Charlie Ergen, according to the Post. Ergen is chairman of EchoStar, the parent company of Boost Mobile. A reported discussion is not a signed deal, and the talks could still go nowhere.
There’s a complication. Boost Mobile’s network is currently powered by T-Mobile and AT&T, The Verge notes. That means SpaceX may need permission from both carriers to launch a service through Boost. SpaceX and Boost Mobile did not immediately respond to The Verge’s request for comment.
Why SpaceX wants a mobile network
SpaceX wants Starlink to become a major mobile carrier, pairing its satellite-to-phone service with a ground-based network. It has already said Starlink Mobile will compete directly with AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile. To get there, it acquired spectrum licences from EchoStar last year. It also struck a deal for 800MHz low-band spectrum more recently.
Spectrum alone doesn’t make a carrier, though. In October, Bloomberg reported that SpaceX was in talks to access at least 80,000 cell sites in the US. A deal with Boost would add an existing retail carrier to those efforts.
What it means for Boost Mobile customers
For now, nothing changes. This is a report of talks, not an announced deal, and The Verge’s account includes no deal value or timeline. A full purchase would hand SpaceX an existing subscriber base instead of making it build one from scratch. A deal limited to network access would be a looser arrangement, and its effect on Boost plans is unclear.
For US buyers more broadly, a SpaceX-backed carrier would be another rival to AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile. Whether that leads to lower prices depends on terms that haven’t been reported. Boost customers don’t need to do anything unless a deal is confirmed.
Source: The Washington Post, via The Verge
