AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile formally launch dead-zone satellite joint venture
AT&T · Verizon · T-Mobile
The three carriers finalized the direct-to-device JV first announced in May, naming Paul Roth interim CEO.
what happened
AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon formally entered into the joint venture agreement they first announced in May 2026, per Via Satellite and Fierce Network. The JV named wireless-industry veteran Paul Roth, who previously held leadership roles at AT&T, Cingular Wireless and Ameritech, as interim CEO while it searches for a permanent one. The non-exclusive venture plans to pursue a standards-based, direct-to-device satellite approach and pool spectrum resources to close coverage dead zones; the companies have not yet identified which spectrum they will pool. Existing carrier-satellite deals, including AT&T and Verizon's investments in AST SpaceMobile, Verizon's messaging deal with Skylo, and T-Mobile's T-Satellite service with SpaceX, remain in place.
why it matters
The JV creates a combined bargaining bloc of the three largest US carriers just as SpaceX pushes Starlink Mobile to compete directly for their subscribers. By pooling spectrum and setting common technical specifications rather than negotiating alone, AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile aim to keep multiple satellite providers competing for their business rather than depend on one. For AST SpaceMobile, Skylo and other D2D vendors, the JV is both a potential new wholesale customer and a sign the carriers want leverage over pricing before committing further.
signal-to-noise
quick facts
- Companies
- AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile
- Category
- partnership
- Impact
- notable
- SNR
- 4 / 5
- Event date
- 2026-10-02
- Published
- 2026-10-02 22:52 UTC