SpaceX · Elon Musk · AT&T · U.S. · Tesla · FCC · Axios
Elon Musk's next target: A major shake-up of America's wireless market
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Elon Musk is looking to shake up America's wireless industry, potentially bringing the first major new competitive threat in years to a business dominated by three companies.
Key facts
- SpaceX has held talks with EchoStar about acquiring Boost Mobile or gaining access to its network arrangements, according to a Washington Post report Monday
- But its 2020 acquisition of Sprint reduced the number of major nationwide carriers from four to three
- Regulators tried to preserve a fourth competitor by requiring the sale of Boost Mobile to Dish Network, which planned to build a nationwide network
- The Post reported that Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile have all rebuffed Musk's efforts to gain access to their networks
Summary
The cellular industry has seen enormous technological change, but relatively little disruption to its competitive structure. Musk may have reason to move quickly while the current administration and its regulatory appointees remain in place, a reason some analysts have cited in the context of proposals for a merger between Tesla and SpaceX.What they're saying: Blair Levin, a former FCC chief of staff who now heads policy at Optimal Advisory, says Musk's financial resources distinguish him from previous challengers. SpaceX has held talks with EchoStar about acquiring Boost Mobile or gaining access to its network arrangements, according to a Washington Post report Monday.