T-Mobile isn’t interested in turning SpaceX into a wireless partner, and CEO Srini Gopalan isn’t exactly being subtle about it. While Starlink has larger aspirations to branch into mobile connectivity, the carrier says a deeper partnership would add little value to its business.
Speaking during T-Mobile’s third-quarter 2026 earnings call, Gopalan reiterated that the company has no plans to enter a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) agreement with SpaceX. Such a deal would let SpaceX offer wireless services on top of T-Mobile’s existing cell network, paving an easier route into the U.S. mobile market for the satellite company.
Gopalan said T-Mobile evaluates potential MVNO partnerships based on whether they open up new addressable markets, distribution channels, or capabilities. He doesn’t believe a SpaceX deal will accomplish any of those things. The company would still consider a straight commercial or resale arrangement, but that’s a very different proposition to providing SpaceX access through an MVNO deal.
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T-Mobile thinks satellite has some catching up to do
The main problem is that T-Mobile doesn’t see satellite connectivity as a big alternative to its current broadband services. Gopalan described satellite internet as an inferior alternative to fixed wireless access (FWA), except in some remote rural locations, where traditional cellular coverage is harder to deliver.
That assessment isn’t entirely surprising. Roughly two-thirds of T-Mobile’s FWA customers live in densely populated urban areas, where the carrier believes there is plenty of unused network capacity to support more growth. Meanwhile, satellite connectivity is constrained in terms of beam size and available coverage capacity.
There is also little reason for the company to merge the two technologies when its current infrastructure can already cater to its largest customer markets.
SpaceX has bigger plans, but carriers aren’t buying in
SpaceX’s ambitions go way beyond satellite messaging. The company reportedly wants access to at least 80,000 U.S. cell sites as it seeks to build a more meaningful terrestrial wireless presence. It also has FCC approval to deploy up to 15,000 next-gen Starlink satellites that can connect directly to smartphones.
That growth could put SpaceX in closer competition with established U.S. carriers. But T-Mobile isn’t the only major carrier keeping its distance. Verizon CEO Dan Schulman also dismissed an MVNO deal, and AT&T boss John Stankey downplayed the competitive threat.
That said, T-Mobile’s existing T-Satellite service already uses SpaceX technology, but Gopalan previously revealed that T-Satellite accounts for just 0.0002% of T-Mobile’s total network usage during normal conditions. It’s hardly a vote of confidence in satellite connectivity as a big growth driver.
Right now, T-Mobile would prefer to spend money on its own 5G network and get ready for 6G than to make a wider deal with SpaceX. The carrier sees more opportunity to squeeze more capacity out of its existing network than to bring a satellite operator into its wireless business.
