Boost Mobile, the network built by Australian entrepreneur Peter Adderton, could become Elon Musk’s ticket into the mobile carrier business, with SpaceX in talks to buy or partner with the US arm of the Australian-developed brand.

Adderton launched Boost in Australia before exporting the model to the US, where it grew into a national carrier now owned by EchoStar. It is that US business Musk is now pursuing.

In Australia Boost Mobile is owned by Telstra after Adderton sold the local operation for $139M.

This  is a separate business and is not part of the talks.

SpaceX has held talks in recent months with EchoStar in the USA about launching its own branded wireless service, according to two people familiar with the negotiations cited by The Washington Post.

Musk has handled the talks personally, meeting EchoStar Chairman Charlie Ergen last month, sources said.

The deal could see SpaceX buy Boost Mobile outright or gain access to its network, which Boost leases from AT&T and T-Mobile US. No agreement has been confirmed.

The prospect is already rattling the major US carriers, who fear Musk could upend their industry.

 

Optus In The Frame

The Boost talks may be only the start. ChannelNews understands SpaceX and Starlink executives have examined either an acquisition of, or a major shareholding in, Singtel-controlled Optus as a way into the Australian carrier market, a move that could put Telstra and TPG Telecom on notice.

The timing is pointed. Singtel has confirmed it is in talks with potential investors over selling a substantial minority stake in Optus, reportedly more than 30% of the business and potentially worth upwards of A$2 billion. For a company of SpaceX’s scale, that is small change.

The Spectrum Trail

The EchoStar talks follow a clear pattern. SpaceX has already bought US$2.6 billion worth of spectrum licences from EchoStar to strengthen Starlink’s 5G connections, and is developing equipment that combines satellite connectivity with conventional mobile services.

The significance is simple: with its own spectrum and network access, SpaceX no longer has to rely on carriers such as Telstra and Optus to reach mobile customers. It can compete with them.

SpaceX has announced no equivalent terrestrial mobile strategy for Australia, but observers say the US moves signal exactly where the company is heading in markets like this one.

Starlink’s Australian Surge

Starlink is already a formidable force locally. It has more than 600,000 Australian retail broadband subscribers, adding 177,000 in six months, an average of roughly 29,500 net additions a month.

It is no longer just a fix for remote properties. Starlink now serves households, businesses, government agencies and mobile network operators, and has been open about its ambition to deliver satellite connectivity, including voice, direct to mobile phones. Its dishes are sold through mainstream retailers including JB Hi-Fi.

SpaceX also has an existing commercial relationship with Optus.

Optus On The Block

In its 30 July 2026 Singapore Exchange announcement, Singtel confirmed discussions with interested parties but warned no transaction was guaranteed.

Optus generates about A$8.35 billion in annual revenue. Combined with Starlink’s satellite network and SpaceX’s terrestrial ambitions, it would hand Musk an instant, national-scale mobile business in Australia.

Any such deal would face intense scrutiny from competition regulators, the Foreign Investment Review Board and national security agencies, given the spectrum and critical telecommunications infrastructure involved.