AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon name Paul Roth interim CEO of their satellite joint venture

AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon, the three largest US wireless carriers, have formally established their satellite connectivity joint venture and named telecom industry veteran Paul Roth as its interim chief executive. The venture was first announced in May 2026.

It will be managed by a board with representatives from each of the three founding carriers, while a search for a permanent chief executive continues. Roth is a former executive of AT&T, Cingular Wireless and Ameritech.

What the joint venture plans

According to the companies, the venture aims to nearly eliminate dead zones in the US by expanding coverage to underserved areas that traditional mobile networks cannot reach. Its plan relies on direct-to-device satellite technology, which connects compatible smartphones outside normal cellular coverage, and on pooling the carriers' spectrum resources to improve efficiency and launch new services faster.

The service is also intended to provide redundant connectivity during natural disasters and other disruptions, when conventional networks are down and first responders need working communications. The venture will take a standards-based approach to satellite services and work with rural mobile operators, while each founding carrier continues its own satellite projects independently.

The SpaceX factor

Some analysts suggest the joint venture could be defensive, given SpaceX's push to build a full-fledged mobile service through Starlink. SpaceX's ambitions have already rattled investors in the US wireless sector: in August the company outlined plans that could eventually pit Starlink against the three major carriers, and last year it acquired 65 megahertz of wireless spectrum from EchoStar for $19.6 billion through two deals.

SpaceX president Gwynne Shotwell said the company will build the infrastructure needed to make Starlink "a true mobile service" and expects to win "quite a few" customers from the major US carriers. Individually, the three are not standing still: T-Mobile runs a commercial direct-to-device service with SpaceX, Verizon offers satellite messaging with Skylo Technologies, and Verizon and AT&T are both working with AST SpaceMobile. AT&T Business also has a partnership with Amazon Leo.

Analysts note the venture's unified satellite service could also pose a competitive threat to cable operators such as Cox Communications and Comcast and to smaller rural broadband providers.

Sources: Reuters · Mobile World Live