AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon have formally established a joint venture to use satellites to fill gaps in their terrestrial networks. The unnamed company will be overseen by a board with representatives from each carrier and an interim CEO, Paul Roth, who has prior industry experience. The carriers first said in May that they would combine resources for satellite expansion.
The venture is intended to complement existing mobile service rather than replace it. According to a press release, the companies aim to "nearly eliminate dead zones" in the US and provide reliable connectivity during emergencies when ground networks are down. They also say customers will benefit from simpler access to satellite services across providers, which could speed up feature updates and reduce dropped connections.
The move appears to be a defensive response to dedicated satellite providers such as Starlink and Amazon's Leo. However, no date has been given for when the service will become available, suggesting the effort is still in its early stages.