SpaceX is negotiating with telecommunications company EchoStar to potentially acquire its Boost Mobile wireless service or secure access to the network Boost uses, according to a Monday report from The Washington Post. The discussions could provide Elon Musk’s company with a faster route into the American wireless market as it works to transform Starlink into a direct competitor to AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile.

People familiar with the negotiations told the Post that SpaceX and EchoStar have discussed a deal in recent months that would allow SpaceX to launch its own branded wireless service. Musk has reportedly been personally involved in the discussions, including a meeting with EchoStar Chairman Charlie Ergen last month.

Boost Mobile does not operate an entirely independent nationwide cellular network. Instead, it leases wireless capacity from AT&T and T-Mobile, meaning any agreement involving SpaceX could require approval from those carriers. Existing network agreements may not automatically transfer to a new owner, potentially complicating an acquisition or partnership.

SpaceX’s broader objective is to build Starlink Mobile, a hybrid satellite-and-terrestrial network that combines the company’s growing constellation of satellites with traditional ground-based cellular infrastructure. The strategy would allow SpaceX to expand beyond its existing satellite internet and direct-to-phone services and compete for customers in the nationwide wireless market.

A deal involving Boost could give SpaceX access to an established subscriber base and an existing distribution operation rather than requiring the company to build every part of a wireless business from the ground up. EchoStar reported approximately 7.38 million wireless customers at the end of the second quarter, primarily through Boost Mobile and Gen Mobile.

The discussions follow SpaceX’s broader push to acquire wireless spectrum and develop the infrastructure needed to operate as a major mobile carrier. The company has already reached agreements with EchoStar involving valuable wireless spectrum licenses, strengthening its ability to expand satellite-to-phone connectivity and potentially support a more extensive terrestrial network.

SpaceX executives have made clear that the company intends to become a significant competitor in the American wireless industry. Chief Financial Officer Bret Johnsen has said the company wants to become a major mobile carrier in the United States, while its leadership has outlined plans to combine satellite connectivity with ground-based equipment.

The potential expansion poses a challenge to the established carriers, which have spent decades building nationwide networks and investing billions of dollars in cellular infrastructure. SpaceX would still face substantial costs involving cell sites, customer service, marketing, handset subsidies, and network expansion before it could compete on the same scale.

No agreement has been announced, and the discussions do not guarantee that SpaceX will acquire Boost Mobile or secure access to its network.