AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon have signed a joint venture agreement to expand coverage in parts of the U.S. that cell towers don't reach. The three carriers first said in May 2026 that they planned to pool spectrum for satellite service. The October 1 agreement turns that plan into a company, with a board and an interim CEO.
What the venture will do
- Pool the three carriers' spectrum to support satellite service that connects directly to ordinary phones.
- Start with direct-to-device satellite access in areas with weak or no cell coverage.
- Provide backup service when ground networks go down in natural disasters or other outages.
- Work alongside each carrier's own network. AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon keep running and selling their own service.
The carriers say the venture will nearly eliminate U.S. dead zones. They haven't said when customers will see anything from it.
Who runs it
Paul Roth is interim CEO while the partners search for a permanent one. He previously held leadership roles at AT&T, Cingular Wireless and Ameritech. A board with representatives from each of the three carriers will oversee the venture.
What hasn't been announced
- A name for the venture
- How ownership is split between the three carriers
- Financial terms or how much each carrier is investing
- A launch date or a list of areas it will cover first
- Which satellite company or companies it will work with
What it means for your plan today
Nothing changes yet. The carriers' existing satellite deals stay in place, and each one can keep building its own satellite service. T-Mobile's T-Satellite runs on Starlink and is included with Experience Beyond or costs $10/mo on other plans. AT&T and Verizon work with AST SpaceMobile. Verizon's Simplicity plan includes satellite texting.
Every carrier's satellite option, what it costs and which phones work.
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Jean Gilles has researched personal finance, consumer technology, and wireless pricing for over a decade. He founded ShopCellPlans in 2019 and writes every review on the site.