T-Mobile has dismissed and criticized SpaceX’s bid to become a major mobile carrier in the US. But SpaceX is now throwing its own shade, framing T-Mobile as one of the many “incumbents” out to stifle competition from satellite-to-phone services.
The Elon Musk-led company threw the subtle jab in a filing with the Federal Communications Commission that accuses T-Mobile of pushing “antiquated technical rules” for traditional ground-based cell sites.
“SpaceX has worked extensively with other operators, including T-Mobile, through the WRC-27 Advisory Committee process to reach consensus,” the company wrote. “Unfortunately, the misplaced desire to harm a competitor has led many incumbents to oppose modernized rules that would bring direct-to-cell service to underserved border communities.”
SpaceX’s filing concerns the 2027 World Radiocommunication Conference, where countries, including the US, will convene next fall to revise and update international radio regulations. One agenda item, 1.13, focuses on studies examining radio spectrum allocations for mobile-satellite services for phones — a technology that SpaceX plans to use in combination with cell sites to become a nationwide carrier through a second-gen Starlink Mobile.
The FCC has been soliciting industry input for its recommendations to the conference. SpaceX is urging the commission to reject T-Mobile’s “proposed limits for base-station protection,” which refers to the radio interference protections for ground-based cell tower sites. According to SpaceX, T-Mobile is pushing for a buffer zone “of more than 400 kilometers around base stations, disenfranchising millions from direct-to-cell service in the countries where the limit is applied.”
SpaceX is responding after T-Mobile recommended on Oct. 13 that the FCC push for radio interference protections for ground-based cell towers along neighboring countries, citing the threat of a satellite signal in one country interfering with a terrestrial cell site in another.
However, SpaceX previously told the FCC on Oct. 6, “the first and principal problem is that every protection criterion now under consideration is outdated and overly conservative,” claiming the proposal could constrain satellite-to-phone operations worldwide. “Especially in geographic areas with smaller countries and frequent border boundaries, this rule would mean killing US DC-MSS-IMT service globally,” SpaceX added.
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The filing offers a glimpse at the regulatory feuds that might erupt between the two companies after SpaceX officially declared its intention to become a major US mobile carrier. Last week, T-Mobile also urged the FCC to revise a separate proposal for the US that could help SpaceX secure more radio spectrum, arguing it risks degrading T-Mobile’s 5G network.
Ironically, T-Mobile is a SpaceX partner. The carrier is currently the only US provider of the first-gen Starlink Mobile, called T-Satellite. Still, T-Mobile has been downplaying satellite connectivity in recent months and even created a joint venture with AT&T and Verizon that could foster competitors to Starlink Mobile.
In an earnings call on Wednesday, T-Mobile’s CEO also ruled out an MVNO resale partnership with SpaceX. “We’ve been very clear that in terms of satellite, we see it as a complementary product. And therefore, we don’t really see the room for an MVNO for satellite or SpaceX in that context,” Srini Gopalan said.
About Our Expert
Michael Kan
Principal Reporter
Experience
I’ve been a journalist for over 15 years. I got my start as a schools and cities reporter in Kansas City and joined PCMag in 2017, where I cover satellite internet services, cybersecurity, PC hardware, and more. I’m currently based in San Francisco, but previously spent over five years in China, covering the country’s technology sector.
Since 2020, I’ve covered the launch and explosive growth of SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet service, writing 600+ stories on availability and feature launches, but also the regulatory battles over the expansion of satellite constellations, fights with rival providers like AST SpaceMobile and Amazon, and the effort to expand into satellite-based mobile service. I’ve combed through FCC filings for the latest news and driven to remote corners of California to test Starlink’s cellular service.
I also cover cyber threats, from ransomware gangs to the emergence of AI-based malware. In 2024 and 2025, the FTC forced Avast to pay consumers $16.5 million for secretly harvesting and selling their personal information to third-party clients, as revealed in my joint investigation with Motherboard.
I also cover the PC graphics card market. Pandemic-era shortages led me to camp out in front of a Best Buy to get an RTX 3000. I’m now following how the AI-driven memory shortage is impacting the entire consumer electronics market. I’m always eager to learn more, so please jump in the comments with feedback and send me tips.
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