Why are AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile stocks falling during premarket Friday?

AT&T stock fell 5% after reports that SpaceX is negotiating for access to 80,000 U.S. cell sites, raising competition concerns. This follows AT&T's Q3 2026 earnings, which included a $2.6B impairment charge, increased debt to $149.8B, and softer phone net additions. Analysts cut price targets, with Morgan Stanley at $25 and Barclays at $21. Peers Verizon and T-Mobile also declined, while tower companies Crown Castle and American Tower rose.

SpaceX's reported plans to access 80,000 U.S. cell sites caused shares of T-Mobile (TMUS), AT&T (T), and Verizon (VZ) to fall 5%, 4%, and 3% respectively. SpaceX aims to become a fourth nationwide wireless carrier, leveraging its Starlink satellite network. AT&T and Verizon executives downplayed the threat, citing technical and scale challenges. The Communication Services Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLC) declined 1%.

T-Mobile (TMUS) stock fell 5.5% pre-market after reports of SpaceX negotiating for 80,000 U.S. cell tower sites, raising competitive concerns. Analysts cut price targets, citing long-term risks to pricing power and customer retention. The selloff is sector-specific, with T-Mobile's parent, Deutsche Telekom, also affected. TMUS trades near its 52-week low ahead of Q3 earnings.

SpaceX is reportedly in talks to access 80,000 U.S. cell sites, potentially becoming a fourth wireless carrier. Crown Castle and American Tower saw after-hours gains, while carriers like Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile lost earlier gains. SpaceX's stock rose slightly after a daytime drop. No lease has been signed, and details remain uncertain. Analysts estimate a nationwide network could cost over $80 billion.

SpaceX is in talks with cellular infrastructure companies to access 80,000 U.S. sites, potentially becoming a fourth nationwide wireless carrier. SpaceX shares rose 2.41% premarket, while AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile fell 3.96%, 3.56%, and 4.10%, respectively. Crown Castle, a tower operator, saw a 7.88% premarket gain. TD Cowen estimates a nationwide network could cost over $80 billion.

Shares of T-Mobile, Verizon, and AT&T fell in premarket trading after reports that SpaceX is in talks with cellular-infrastructure providers, like Crown Castle, to create a fourth nationwide wireless carrier. SpaceX's Starlink aims to expand into mobile services, potentially leasing or acquiring 80,000 cell sites. Analysts suggest this could take years to materialize but may negatively impact telcos and positively affect tower stocks.