Posted on 06/27/2026 2:11:10 AM PDT by srmanuel
Ever since SpaceX announced that Starlink had partnered with T-Mobile to support direct cell phone to satellite communication, it seemed only a matter of time before SpaceX challenged existing carriers like AT&T and Verizon directly in the consumer cell phone service market.
Directly from the President of SpaceX - President Gwynne Shotwell told investors during a recent IPO roadshow that SpaceX could build its own terrestrial mobile network
Now an analysist is speculating that SpaceX could acquire T-Mobile instead of building it's on terrestrial network of cell towers.
https://www.investors.com/news/technology/spacex-stock-spcx-elon-musk-acquire-tmobile-wireless-firm/
If this turns out to be true, it would be a healthy thing for the mainstream telecom companies like AT&T and Verizon to face competition from the like of SpaceX.
“it’s on”?
I am a generally forgiving man when it comes to spelling, but a writer who can’t edit something this obvious needs more training.
“X does not censor to an extent”
They still censor, bigtime!
I’m in!
Verizon is like a financial stone around my neck...
Cricket.
I find myself having to correct my own typing, plus the autocorrect, plus the unwanted AI generated alterations--I've had to fix something twice in this very sentence. It's far more tedious than when I typed my dissertation on a manual typewriter 50 years ago, but I wouldn't trade today's tech for the typewriter, regardless of any compensation.
I’m just going to say, I have Mint Mobile. I pay $15 a month, paid a year in advance. When I make a call it goes through, when someone calls me it goes through, and when I need to use the internet it works. I’m not sure what else a phone is supposed to do. And I do all this on a $200 refurb phone. I’m not poor, I’m just cheap.
I am a T Mobile customer. I say yes!
I have Starlink in a very remote location and finally dumped Verizon in DC for Starlink. I needed a landline so used OOMA VOIP which is easy and inexpensive enough. But if you can stick to cell, even better. For a normal house Starlink’s wifi router offers a pretty good mesh set up. For my remote location I went to Unifi networking off of Starlink. But all of it is steady as a rock. Super fast download speeds, I know what I am paying and what I am getting. Turns out Verizon finally fixed a neighborhood FIOS router box on the corner explaining - partly - why we were getting such crappy internet service with disruptions all the time - I guess. Starling just works, virtually all of the time and I have a constant record - on my phone app of times when it isn’t up, which is briefly almost never. And Verizon speeds were throttled at 100mbs - user experience may vary - e.g. a lot lower in practice. Starlink is up to 400 mbs and even now in a peak time it is well north of 300 mbs - just checked.
how did you check?
I want to check.
Just switched to T-Mobile for this service. Will be able to phone from almost anywhere.
For many years we had USCellular. T-Mobile aquired USCellular. So far so good, but I wouldn’t mind SpaceX taking over if they could bring the cost down.
US Mobile. I’ve been with them for four years. They use all the major carrier’s systems, the prices are great and they have good customer service for Telco.
>Would take a lot for me to dump Verizon. I’ve never had a single problem with them and to get a free upgrade every other year or so has been nice. even though this would probably benefit me financially because I own SpaceX stock, I think he needs to concentrate on what he has. First, take care of the Debt that he has
All these moves are means to an end; self-serving in part but mostly good. (IMO of course).
I believe he’s trying to create a system by which governments can no longer restrict communication amongst citizens because the systems are physically beyond their control.
He has to make tons of money to do this of course and is busily enjoying that part too, but if you triangulate AI (data) + X platform + Starlink and SpaceX, all that’s missing is a carrier to make all the physical (and so easily disrupted) lines no longer an absolute block to communication.
I’m making some large inferences here but look where he’s deployed the power gratis; (mostly?) freeing clampdowns on X; overriding comms crackdowns OR physical breakdowns in Ukraine, Iran, Venezuela, southern US due to politics or weather/disaster.
Obviously not all data is used for good but on the whole the left only progresses when there’s only one allowable opinion. 5Eyes countries and EU are moving fast to control what people may see. PRC is long already there (what would happen if Chinese people could speak freely?). The Dems go for those controls every chance they get.
You are so right about the EU. I was just there last week and it’s amazing how much censorship is going on there including our very own Elon Musk‘s websites it was really shocking to me because I thought Europe was more enlightened than the United States. obviously not.
We flew home on Alaska Airline and while our plane didn’t have it, they were touting free WiFi by T Mobile through Starlink. Our cruise ship, the Virgin Brilliant Lady just put into affect on our cruise, the policy that you could not bring your own Starlink equipment onboard. They were charging $60 a day for high grade WiFi. We found the “free” WiFi met our needs.
Why would you think that Europe was more enlightened than the United States?
$50 is not likely unless it’s a new plan deal and then temporary.
You can get Mobile phone service and Starlink for $72 or just basic Starlink for $55 so close to 50 if you live in an area not subject to congestion charges. Or go Starlink Roam and accept a data cap to get around the congestion charges but then you can take your Mini with you in travels world wide and it also works while moving.
We have both home with a larger dishy V2 dish and a mini with roam which I used yesterday between DFW and Port A to stream Netfix while my Tesla drove us to our condo. D
Flawless streaming at 4K speeds even in the wilds of South Texas we never come down 37 so it’s all deep rural HWYs
https://www.usmobile.com/home-internet/starlink
https://starlink.com/us/residential
https://starlink.com/service-plans
Under personal then roam. It was 50G it’s now 100 that’s about 50 hours of streaming 1080 or basically unlimited , e-mails, browsing, WhatsApp video and voice calls, or any VOIP really. At 720 it’s over 100hrs of YouTube videos no need for 1080 or 4K on a small mobile screen.
Spaces and Starlink need a 5G ground segment to saturate the urban areas then seamlessly switch to D2C in the rural. A MVNO with TMobil is the easy button but as this article shows they refuse. Even those the 3 are in bed with Goggles with GoogleFi, and a host of other MVNOs including US Mobile above who has access to all 3 and unlimited data as is. Us mobile is working on a software app that blends seamlessly Starlink and it’s t terrestrial data if they succeed SpaceX might just buy them instead of T-Mobile just for the MVNO contracts already signed.
Can’t love Starlink enough you won’t be sorry.
For a nonliberal, that’s a very liberal mindset. All of Elon’s money has come from free exchange between him and consumers. Is it his fault he has products that provide value? Personally, I would never purchase a Tesla, but would have no problem owning Starlink.
I have been on the T mobile 55 and older plan for years. Best deal on the market. Tethering for the home Wi-Fi has been faster than anything hard wired. Nearly 200mbps download and 60 upload. I want to get starlink but I don’t want to pay for starlink.... ($180 a month for unlimited) yet. So if they merge I will be a happy customer.
I have used tmobile for years. If you are tech savvy you can tether your phone via usb with a gl.inet travel router and ‘easy tether’ app running on the phone. There are a few little hacks you have to do but they are quite easy. I have used hundreds of gigs a month no problem.
https://www.gl-inet.com/en-us/products/gl-axt1800?_pos=6&_fid=151c80642&_ss=c
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.mstream.easytether_polyclef&hl=en&pli=1
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