Charter Shares Jump 24% After Talks With SpaceX on Mobile

Charter Communications shares rose more than 24% in premarket trading Monday after reports that company and SpaceX executives held high-level talks about a potential partnership to offer consumer mobile services. No agreement has been reached.

The talks were private and details remain limited. Executives discussed ways Charter could route some satellite-originated mobile traffic through its ground-based internet infrastructure, a setup similar to how Charter supports Spectrum Mobile.

Such an arrangement would support SpaceX’s efforts to offer mobile services directly to consumers rather than relying solely on agreements with established wireless carriers. SpaceX has been increasing its mobile spectrum holdings and terrestrial assets, including purchases made in a recent FCC AWS-3 auction and spectrum rights acquired from EchoStar last year.

SpaceX currently offers a Starlink Mobile add-on priced at $10 per month through an existing carrier partnership, which allows text messaging and internet-based calls in areas beyond conventional cellular coverage. SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell commented that “Starlink Mobile will far exceed Starlink broadband in the home.”

For Charter, the talks come amid competition from satellite broadband. Charter’s shares are down about 36% year to date. The company provides wireless service through Spectrum Mobile by using agreements with major carriers and by routing much customer traffic over its own Wi‑Fi network.

Charter agreed last year to merge with Cox Communications in a deal expected to increase its subscriber base by more than 20% and expand its broadband and mobile footprint. A partnership with SpaceX could combine satellite reach with Charter’s ground infrastructure, though no commercial terms have been set.

SpaceX’s Starlink service has expanded rapidly, doubling its subscriber base in recent years and signing commercial contracts with airlines. Any partnership would require further negotiation on spectrum use, traffic routing, commercial terms and regulatory approvals before moving forward.