SpaceX eyeing T-Mobile?
June 26, 2026

By Chris Forrester



SpaceX is planning to buy US cellular operator T-Mobile according to industry speculation.

The reports include a note from analysts at investment bank TD Cowen which says that SpaceX could buy T-Mobile if the three giant cellular operators (AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile) decline to allow SpaceX’s Starlink service access to their networks. That leaves SpaceX with two options: Build its own US wireless network from scratch, or acquire one.


The TD Cowan analysts described T-Mobile as seeming “the clear choice” given its existing Starlink partnership and pure-play wireless focus.

T-Mobile’s market cap is $197 billion. With debt, a takeover by SpaceX would cost roughly $320 billion.

One observer described the rumour mill as being a hypothetical path rather than signalling imminent corporate action.

However, when one remembers the past comments that SpaceX could create its own Starlink cellphones it would be a natural extension to be seeking access to networks. Musk has happily admitted that he aims to turn Starlink from a rural broadband provider into a broader global connectivity platform spanning broadband, mobile and hybrid satellite-terrestrial networks.