The three largest U.S. carriers AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon are forming a joint venture to unify and expand satellite direct-to-device (D2D) services by pooling spectrum, developing common standards, and jointly investing in satellite connectivity technologies. Despite the collaboration, each carrier will maintain its existing satellite partnerships, with T-Mobile working with SpaceX, AT&T partnering with AST SpaceMobile, and Verizon working with both Skylo and AST SpaceMobile.
The move comes amid intensifying competition in the D2D market, as the FCC approved EchoStar’s spectrum sale to SpaceX to strengthen Starlink Direct-to-Device capabilities, while Amazon entered the sector through its planned acquisition of Globalstar.