Apple’s efforts to expand its satellite connectivity has led to backlash from Elon Musk’s SpaceX, according to a Wall Street Journal report. The two companies are currently competing for spectral rights—a limited number of airwaves that carry phone signals—and Musk has pushed federal regulators to stall Apple’s plans to expand its satellite fleet, according to the report.
This conflict escalated when SpaceX and its partner T-Mobile negotiated with Apple to allow Starlink on iPhones. Apple has integrated Starlink satellite network into their latest iPhone update, allowing iPhone users to use it as an alternative to Globestar, Apple’s partner in offering satellite services.
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Globestar has hired SpaceX to launch the satellites that provide some off-the-grid coverage for Apple devices. The WSJ report said that industry leaders believe Globestar alone wouldn’t be able to further Apple’s Satellite goals. SpaceX, through Starlink, has a far larger fleet of satellites, offering greater coverage.
Despite the rivalry, the two companies are entangled in a delicate partnership. “Our focus is to make sure that iPhones work with Starlink and provide connectivity wherever you are,” T-Mobile’s CEO Mike Sievert said during negotiations.
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Starlink has also faced competition over satellite connectivity with Jeff Bezos’ Project Kuiper and the Chinese-backed SpaceSail. In November 2024, Shanghai-based SpaceSail signed an agreement to enter Brazil and announced it was in talks with over 30 countries. Two months later, it began work in Kazakhstan, according to the Kazakh embassy in Beijing, and some have suggested that this is a response to Musk’s primacy in space.
This is not the first time tensions have developed between Apple and Musk’s ventures. Musk has previously clashed with the company over Twitter (now X), self-driving cars, and other issues. Nevertheless, it seems like the two companies — rivaling tech giants at the forefront of evolution — need each other despite their many disagreements.