In sum, what to know:
-Mobile operators want more control over satellite connectivity and are taking steps to get it, according to a new report from GSMA Intelligence.
-The NTN market is growing, but most deployments remain in the testing phase.
-Competition and consolidation are reshaping the satellite ecosystem.
A recent joint venture among U.S. mobile network operators to invest in Non-Terrestrial Networks is one of the signs pointing to MNOs’ desire to have greater control over the satellite layer that they are adding to their networks, according to GMSA Intelligence.
In May, U.S. operators AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile US announced that they had an agreement in principle for a JV involving joint investment, pooling of spectrum resources, and cooperative development on NTN direct-to-device technologies that they promised would “nearly eliminate dead zones in the U.S. currently without mobile service.” The partners did note that the JV would be in addition to existing carrier-satellite agreements and that JV partners could also pursue their own, independent satellite connectivity initiatives.
“With the expansion of satellite constellations, soon to be supported by multiple space-based operators, this JV will use expanded capacity and improved performance to deliver the best possible service to customers. This partnership will also make it easier for satellite operators to deliver a broader range of direct-to-device experiences and help accelerate innovation across the wireless and satellite industries,” said Srini Gopalan, president and CEO of T-Mobile US, in a statement at the time.
According to GSMA Intelligence’s most recently published NTN Tracker, that JV provides the “strongest signal yet that telcos want greater control of the satellite layer.”
“The big three U.S. mobile operators coming together is less about replacing existing carrier-satellite partnerships, and more about giving operators more control, options and influence over how satellite capacity is deployed. A shared neutral-host model means operators aren’t relying solely on external providers,” said Tim Hatt, head of research and consulting at GSMA Intelligence and one of the report’s authors. “It also gives MNOs a way to blunt the competitive impact from Starlink, by ensuring they have access to satellite-enabled coverage and capacity on more favorable terms. It also strengthens the position of wholesale players such as AST SpaceMobile, which currently has 39 planned operator partnerships despite an initial constellation of seven satellites. Viasat and Space42 are also opting for a similar route with the planned joint venture, Equatys. We believe this model will become the blueprint for other countries. Satellite providers will shift focus towards infrastructure and capacity-sharing rather than exclusive bilateral partnerships.”
The report found that operators now average 1.5 satellite partnerships each. But MNOs’ desire for more control of NTN runs up against a different and equally powerful trend: geopolitical tensions and desires for sovereignty.
“Sovereignty, security and data-residency considerations are becoming strategic decision factors” when it comes to satellite partnerships, the report concluded—and regional desires for control of data and satellite communications push operators toward multi-partner relationships. China has been developing its own NTN constellations for some time, and in Europe, there is also wariness of depending too heavily on U.S. infrastructure or companies like Starlink. Olivier Roussat, CEO of Bouygues Group (parent company of Bouygues Telecom), has told CNBC’s Squawk Box Europe that “Europe doesn’t realize exactly how dangerous it is to just rely on the American infrastructure.”
Most MNOs’ NTN services are still in the testing phase
The GSMA Intelligence NTN Tracker also illustrated the state of the NTN market. As of June 2026, 132 operators around the world had either established relationships to provide satellite service or were operating a constellation. Of those, 89 were still in the planning and/or testing phase, with 43 of them live.
One of the most recent announced tests has come from Vodafone Ireland, which announced earlier this month that it had successfully tested NTN connectivity for emergency responders using AST SpaceMobile’s network; the testing was conducted in cooperation with Ireland’s Office of the Government Chief Information Officer and Satellite Connect Europe, which is Vodafone’s joint venture with AST SpaceMobile.
The test was conducted on Clare Island, County Mayo, which has rugged terrain that Vodafone Ireland called an “ideal real-world environment for testing technologies designed to support tourism, rural communities and critical national infrastructure.”
Consolidation, and Kuiper to come
Meanwhile, the NTN market itself continues to shift. Satellite operator Iridium is being acquired by RocketLab in a deal valuing Iridium at $8 billion. SpaceX had an eye-popping IPO, but its stock price has since slid, with investors’ interest in space stocks apparently waning over its first month on the market. And Amazon’s highly anticipated Amazon Leo (formerly known as Project Kuiper) is steadily building momentum toward commercial service, promising a market shake-up.
Kuiper has been rapidly expanding its satellite constellation since April of last year, and as of June 2026, has launched more than 375 satellites—which the company says makes it the third-largest constellation in orbit. It already has partnerships with groups like DP World to use its LEO-based satellite service for connectivity at golf tournaments around the world. Amazon Leo “is clearly one of the most important new entrants to watch, largely because it is the closest in scale to Starlink outside China and benefits from Amazon’s deep resources and vertical integration,” said Hatt. “That said, its near-term impact is likely to be more strategic than operational.”
He pointed out that while Amazon added about 150 satellites to its constellation during the second quarter, GSMA Intelligence’s NTN Tracker shows that Amazon’s LEO capacity will remain “largely latent” until it integrates Globalstar’s MSS spectrum, which will come to the company as part of its pending $11.6 billion acquisition of GlobalStar. That financial transaction isn’t expected to close until 2027, with service expansion expected in the 2027-2028 timeframe.
“Companies will certainly be factoring Amazon’s entrance into their long-term thinking, particularly as it could increase pressure on smaller players to partner, consolidate or specialize,” Hatt added. “But for now, the market is still partly in wait-and-see mode, with Starlink continuing to set the pace and Amazon’s real impact dependent on how well it integrates and performs when it goes to market.”
For more insights on the NTN ecosystem, join RCRTech on September 8 for NTN Integration Forum.
