This Week in Connectivity
The line between cellular and satellite kept dissolving this week. The biggest story was a rare truce among rivals: AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon agreed in principle to a joint venture that pools spectrum for satellite-based direct-to-device service aimed at wiping out dead zones, a defensive move that landed just as SpaceX’s record IPO paperwork recast Starlink Mobile as a future wireless challenger in its own right. Money kept flowing into the space-and-spectrum land grab, with Amazon’s $11.6B Globalstar deal, Iridium’s Aireon stake, and Inseego’s purchase of Nokia’s fixed-wireless business all reshaping the field. Meanwhile the AI and data-center boom continued to lift equipment names, with Semtech the standout after blockbuster earnings. Satellite and emerging names broadly outran the carriers and the router makers on the week.
Performance
Prices reflect the most recent available close (approximately May 28 to 29, 2026). Week-over-week figures compare against the prior Friday (May 22) and are approximate where an exact Friday close could not be pinned.
| Company (Ticker) | Latest Price | Weekly Change |
|---|---|---|
| US Carriers | ||
| AT&T (T) | $24.88 | flat, approx. |
| Verizon (VZ) | $48.49 | +2.0%, approx. |
| T-Mobile (TMUS) | $192.02 | +1.5%, approx. |
| Router & Equipment Makers | ||
| Ericsson (ERIC) | $13.04 | down 3.4%, approx. |
| Semtech (SMTC) | $157.20 | +8.0%, approx. |
| Digi International (DGII) | $66.88 | +2.0%, approx. |
| Netgear (NTGR) | $25.79 | +1.0%, approx. |
| Inseego (INSG) | $12.22 | down 2.0%, approx. |
| Cisco (CSCO) | $119.67 | down 0.6%, approx. |
| Plover Bay / Peplink (1523.HK) | HK$8.50 | down 3.0%, approx. |
| Satellite & Emerging | ||
| AST SpaceMobile (ASTS) | $130.79 | +12.0%, approx. |
| Iridium (IRDM) | $50.16 | +9.8%, approx. |
| Globalstar (GSAT) | $84.40 | +5.0%, approx. |
| EchoStar / Dish (SATS) | $129.00 | +3.0%, approx. |
| Viasat (VSAT) | $88.40 | +13.7%, approx. |
Stories Behind the Moves
US Carriers. The headline was cooperation rather than competition. AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon announced an agreement in principle on May 14 to form a joint venture that uses satellite-based, direct-to-device technology to “nearly eliminate” dead zones, pooling spectrum while keeping their separate wireless businesses and existing satellite partners intact (see the AT&T announcement). The backdrop is less rosy, since all three reported a slight uptick in postpaid phone churn in Q1 as competition intensifies, but the stocks held up, with Verizon riding a multi-day winning streak and T-Mobile grinding higher.
Router & Equipment Makers. Semtech, the parent of Sierra Wireless, was the group’s star, with shares near all-time highs after fiscal Q3 results late in the week underscored surging data-center and AI-related demand; the stock has roughly doubled over six months. Cisco also touched record territory before easing, and Digi International held near its own all-time high. Ericsson, the parent of Cradlepoint, was the laggard, sliding several percent off a May 22 peak even as it kept buying back stock. Inseego drifted lower as investors digested its pending acquisition of Nokia’s fixed-wireless access business (targeted to close in Q4), and Peplink parent Plover Bay cooled in Hong Kong after setting a record earlier in the month.
Satellite & Emerging. This was the week’s hot corner. Viasat extended a powerful run, up sharply on the week and triple-digits year-to-date, around its FY2026 results. Globalstar held near records on the strength of Amazon’s $11.6B acquisition. Iridium climbed after agreeing to take a 61% stake in air-traffic-surveillance firm Aireon for roughly $367M. AST SpaceMobile remained extraordinarily volatile, still higher on the week after an explosive month, though sentiment wobbled on concerns tied to SpaceX’s IPO valuation and launch timing. EchoStar/Dish swung hard in both directions as the market weighed its spectrum sale to SpaceX.
Starlink & Amazon Leo. SpaceX filed for what would be the largest IPO in history (Nasdaq: SPCX, expected to price in early June), and its prospectus leaned heavily on Starlink, now roughly 10.3M subscribers and the company’s only profitable unit, while pitching next-gen direct-to-smartphone “Starlink Mobile” service aided by spectrum it is acquiring from EchoStar; Starlink also won a deal to outfit more than 500 American Airlines jets. Amazon Leo (formerly Project Kuiper) stayed in beta but crossed 300-plus satellites launched across a dozen missions to become the third-largest constellation in orbit, and revealed a notably compact home router via FCC filings ahead of its commercial launch later this year.
5Gstore Take
The week’s theme is consolidation of cellular and satellite into one connectivity stack, which is exactly where resilient, multi-WAN failover and out-of-band management earn their keep. At 5Gstore we help businesses build that resilience with hardware from Peplink, Cradlepoint, Sierra Wireless, Inseego, Digi, Teltonika, and Katalyst, alongside satellite-ready options. Useful starting points: Peplink, Cradlepoint, Sierra Wireless / Semtech, Inseego, Digi, Teltonika, and Katalyst. Not sure which platform fits your deployment? Contact our team and we will help you spec it.
FAQ
What is direct-to-device (D2D) satellite service?
D2D lets ordinary phones connect to satellites for messaging, and increasingly data, in areas with no cell coverage. The new carrier joint venture and SpaceX’s Starlink Mobile are both pursuing this to close “dead zone” gaps.
Which router brands does 5Gstore carry that are mentioned here?
We carry Peplink, Cradlepoint (Ericsson), Sierra Wireless (Semtech), Inseego, and Digi, plus Teltonika and Katalyst. Each has a dedicated landing page linked in the 5Gstore Take section above.
Are these prices and weekly changes exact?
No. They reflect the latest available quotes around May 28 to 29, 2026, and several week-over-week figures are approximate. Always verify with a primary financial source before acting.
This post is informational market commentary, not investment advice. Prices reflect the latest available quotes (approximately May 28 to 29, 2026) and week-over-week changes are approximate where an exact Friday close could not be confirmed; verify figures with a primary financial source before making any decision. 5Gstore does not recommend buying or selling any security.
