This week in connectivity was defined by space. A Blue Origin New Glenn rocket exploded during a Thursday night hot fire test, sending satellite stocks sharply lower on Friday and dragging AST SpaceMobile down hard even after a strong run earlier in the week. At the same time, the satellite to phone race took center stage as SpaceX cast its Starlink Mobile ambitions as a direct challenge to the big carriers, the carriers themselves advanced a spectrum pooling joint venture, Amazon moved to absorb Apple’s stake in Globalstar as part of an $11.6 billion deal, and EchoStar closed its multibillion dollar spectrum sale to SpaceX. Away from the headlines, earnings did the steering: Semtech posted a record quarter, Viasat returned to profit, and Cisco touched a fresh all time high.
Performance snapshot
US markets close at 3pm Central, so figures below reflect the May 29 close or the most recent available close where noted. Several weekly changes are approximate, measured against the prior Friday baseline using the latest available quotes.
US Carriers
| Company | Latest price | Weekly change |
|---|---|---|
| AT&T (T) | $24.80 | about flat (approx) |
| Verizon (VZ) | $47.81 | up 0.6% (approx) |
| T-Mobile (TMUS) | $187.53 | up 0.5% (approx) |
Router and Equipment Makers
| Company | Latest price | Weekly change |
|---|---|---|
| Ericsson (ERIC), parent of Cradlepoint | $13.04 (approx, May 27) | down 3.5% (approx) |
| Semtech (SMTC), parent of Sierra Wireless | $152.54 | down 3% (approx) |
| Digi International (DGII) | $66.88 (approx, May 28) | up 3% (approx) |
| Netgear (NTGR) | $25.79 (approx, May 26) | up 1% (approx) |
| Inseego (INSG) | $13.12 | about flat (approx) |
| Cisco (CSCO), Meraki | $120.42 | up 1.3% |
| Plover Bay (1523.HK), Peplink parent | HK$8.60 (approx) | down 2% (approx) |
Satellite and Emerging
| Company | Latest price | Weekly change |
|---|---|---|
| AST SpaceMobile (ASTS) | $113.41 | up 15.1% |
| Iridium (IRDM) | $51.78 | about flat (approx) |
| Globalstar (GSAT) | $84.00 (approx) | up 9.4% |
| EchoStar / Dish (SATS) | $129.22 | up 2% (approx) |
| Viasat (VSAT) | $79.44 | down 5% (approx) |
Stories behind the moves
US Carriers. The headline carrier story stayed the same one that opened May: AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon are pressing ahead with a planned joint venture to pool spectrum and satellite capacity and close cellular dead zones, a coordinated response to satellite direct to device competition. On the network side, T-Mobile signaled plans to deploy Ericsson AI native scheduler technology commercially in the third quarter. The three names were little changed on the week, trading more on the broader satellite narrative than on company specific news.
Router and Equipment Makers. Ericsson expanded its Cradlepoint enterprise lineup with the W2255 5G adapter, which adds 3GPP Release 17 network slicing, automated carrier selection, and low Earth orbit satellite bonding, alongside a new in vehicle 5G router for public safety. Semtech delivered a record fiscal first quarter on data center and LoRa strength and guided well above expectations, yet shares pulled back on Friday as investors locked in gains after a powerful post earnings rally. Digi firmed up after its own results, Netgear held in the mid $20s, and Cisco closed at an all time high near $120. Plover Bay, the listed parent of Peplink, eased back off its mid May record.
Satellite and Emerging. This was the week’s main event. AST SpaceMobile was up double digits before the Blue Origin New Glenn explosion late Thursday raised fears of launch delays for its BlueBird constellation, and the stock fell roughly 15% Friday to close near $113, still positive for the week. Globalstar surged to a fresh all time high after confirmation that Amazon would absorb Apple’s roughly 20% stake as part of its $11.6 billion acquisition. EchoStar completed its spectrum transfer to SpaceX, a deal that reshapes the US wireless and satellite map even as the company flags going concern pressure. Iridium was steady, while Viasat slipped after fourth quarter results that returned the company to profit but came with cautious forward guidance.
Starlink and Amazon Leo. SpaceX used its IPO prospectus to position Starlink Mobile as a future wireless challenger rather than just a remote area backup, leaning on upgraded satellites and the spectrum it is acquiring from EchoStar, and it still launched 29 more Starlink satellites on Friday. Amazon Leo, the network formerly known as Project Kuiper, kept building too: a United Launch Alliance Atlas V deployed 29 more satellites on May 29, pushing the constellation past 330 as Amazon works toward commercial service.
5Gstore Take
The signal underneath a volatile week is consistent: connectivity is converging across cellular and satellite, and the winners will be the platforms that let an organization fail over seamlessly between them. That is exactly where modern wireless WAN gear is heading, with multi carrier failover and LEO satellite bonding moving from novelty to baseline, as our recent Cradlepoint W2255 review discusses. A rocket setback or an earnings wobble does not change that direction; it just reminds buyers to plan for redundancy rather than bet on a single link. If you want help mapping these trends to a resilient deployment, contact our team.
We carry and support the house brands behind much of this week’s news: Peplink, Cradlepoint, Sierra Wireless and Semtech, Inseego, Digi, Teltonika, and Katalyst.
FAQ
Why did satellite stocks fall on Friday?
A Blue Origin New Glenn rocket exploded during a hot fire test, raising concerns about launch availability and timelines across the sector. AST SpaceMobile fell hardest because it relies on multiple launch providers, including Blue Origin, to deploy its constellation this year. You can read more in coverage of the Blue Origin rocket explosion.
What is the carrier joint venture about?
AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon plan to pool spectrum and satellite capacity to eliminate dead zones and accelerate direct to device service, a coordinated answer to satellite players entering the consumer phone market.
How does the EchoStar and SpaceX deal matter?
EchoStar sold a large block of nationwide spectrum to SpaceX, which strengthens Starlink direct to cell ambitions. It is one of the year’s most consequential spectrum moves for the satellite to phone race.
Is this investment advice?
No. This is informational market commentary only. See the disclaimer below.
Disclaimer
This post is informational market commentary and not investment advice. Prices and percentage changes reflect the latest available quotes at the time of writing and may differ from official closing values. Several weekly changes are approximate. Always do your own research or consult a licensed financial professional before making investment decisions.
