SpaceX Spectrum deal triggers telecom selloff: How T, VZ, and TMUS rank on quant

On Friday, European telecom stocks plunged after SpaceX announced plans to acquire a nationwide U.S. spectrum portfolio, aiming to transform Starlink into a full-fledged mobile carrier. Major players Deutsche Telekom, Vodafone, Orange SA, Telefonica, and BT Group saw their shares decline by 7%, 3.1%, 2.6%, 2.5%, and 1.4%, respectively.

U.S. giants AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile also experienced drops following the Wall Street Journal's initial report. The deal, subject to FCC approval, involves purchasing up to 14 megahertz of paired spectrum in the 800 MHz band from digital infrastructure investor Grain Management. This low-band spectrum, typically associated with satellite spectrum, is ideal for Starlink Mobile to provide coverage through cellphone towers.

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk described the acquisition as a "very big deal" on X, highlighting the significance of pairing its expanding satellite constellation with advanced terrestrial deployment to reach areas beyond satellite reach, including indoor locations. The FCC had recently approved SpaceX's intention to launch up to 15,000 satellites for mobile service.

SpaceX's strategy seems to be positioning itself directly against traditional carriers, as T-Mobile, AT&T, and Verizon formed a joint venture to enhance satellite coverage in underserved areas without Starlink's involvement. T-Mobile had also distanced itself from Starlink promotions. SpaceX has been providing basic wireless connections in remote areas through a T-Mobile partnership for over a year, and has been upgrading its network with satellites capable of carrying more data.

In 2022, SpaceX finalized a $17 billion deal for satellite spectrum rights from EchoStar, supplementing it with $2.6 billion in EchoStar's ground-based licenses.