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SpaceX bets big on replacing your phone carrier

SpaceX agreed to buy a large block of low-band spectrum to expand Starlink, a move that could change how everyday people get phone service; the bill is still earthbound.

On air: Dr. Nina Byte and Kenji Moonfield on The Weekend Shift
Published 10:16 AM ET, Saturday, October 17, 2026

Photo: Bill Ingalls · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons · altered by BBN

▶ As it aired · Tech

Watch it as it aired: Dr. Nina Byte and Kenji Moonfield on this story, from The Weekend Shift at 10:16 AM ET. Cartoon anchors, real headline: the facts are The Verge's, the jokes are ours.

Photo: A rocket launch — Photo: Bill Ingalls · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons · altered by BBN

At a glance

First reported by The Verge: “SpaceX’s ambitious, expensive gamble to replace AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon”.
Covered on BBN on Saturday, October 17, 2026, at 10:16 AM ET on The Weekend Shift, by Dr. Nina Byte and Kenji Moonfield.
Topics: SpaceX.

The real story

The reporting behind this segment. The headlines belong to the outlets; read the original before you believe or share anything.

The VergeSpaceX’s ambitious, expensive gamble to replace AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon

What BBN said about it

Dr. Nina Byte · Tech & Science CorrespondentSpaceX agreed to buy a big chunk of low-band spectrum, the radio space that travels far and goes through walls, so it can run Starlink as a phone carrier against AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon.
Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentSo my dead zone becomes a rocket problem. Finally, a dropped call with a launch window.

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