Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile are now in Elon's crosshairs.
America loves competition, except, apparently, when it comes to your phone bill. For years, the wireless market has been dominated by three Mafia-like fat cats: Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile. They compete for customers, of course. But Americans could be forgiven for wondering whether somebody forgot to invite a fourth player to the party. The monthly bills keep coming. The dead zones remain, and escaping one carrier often means signing up for another version of the same expensive headache.
Now, as the Washington Post recently reported, Elon Musk wants in. Through SpaceX, he's exploring ways to enter the $235 billion wireless market, potentially by acquiring Boost Mobile or using its network. His aim is to combine conventional mobile connectivity with Starlink satellites, challenging the way Americans have traditionally accessed wireless service.
Rural America has spent far too long paying full price for half-baked service.
It's an audacious undertaking, with enormous technical and commercial obstacles. But Musk loves a challenge. And the prospect of a serious new competitor should give America's established players something to sweat about.
The wireless cartel has operated like a medieval feudal system for two decades. Three lords divided the fiefdom, then charged the peasants $200 a month for four lines and provided customer service reps who sounded like they were reading scripts at gunpoint. You hand over a small fortune every thirty days. Yet the moment you step onto a rural highway or enter a basement grocery store, your $1,200 smartphone turns into a rather luxurious paperweight.
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