T-Mobile CEO rules out letting SpaceX's Starlink Mobile run on its network

SpaceX has made no secret of its plans to enter the US telecom market, and earlier this month it bought more spectrum to turn Starlink Mobile into a full-fledged carrier. It’s also reportedly in talks to get access to at least 80,000 cell sites across the country. A quicker way to get started would be an MVNO deal with an existing carrier – basically, renting capacity on someone else’s network.

Now, T-Mobile CEO Srini Gopalan has made it clear that this won’t be happening with his company. Asked about it during T-Mobile’s Q3 earnings call yesterday, Gopalan said the carrier’s approach to… T-Mobile CEO rules out letting SpaceX’s Starlink Mobile run on its network.

A deal has to bring access to a new addressable market, new distribution channels, or new capabilities. Since T-Mobile sees satellite service as a complementary product, an MVNO with SpaceX doesn’t tick any of those boxes. It wouldn’t help with the company’s edge AI plans either, as it’s already building out its 5G SA network and moving toward 6G.