Largest companies by market cap in the communications sector
2. Space Exploration Technologies
- Market cap: $1.95 trillion (as of Sept. 4)
- Revenue (TTM): $23.0 billion
- Gross profit (TTM): $12.0 billion
- Year founded: 2002
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Alphabet (GOOG -1.05%) (GOOGL -1.11%) is the largest communication services company in the world, followed by Space Exploration Technologies (SPCX -1.20%) and Meta Platforms (META +1.00%). This market sector is split between innovative technology giants and established telecommunications businesses that pay high dividends. Read on to see the 10 most valuable companies as of September 2026.
Editor's note: Rankings and financial metrics are as of Sept. 4, 2026; live quote cards update automatically and are the most current data available.

TTM = trailing 12 months.


Alphabet is the parent company of Google, the world's most widely used search engine. Other products and services offered by Google include its Chrome web browser, Gmail, the Pixel smartphone line, and the artificial intelligence (AI) assistant Gemini. Alphabet owns several other major companies, including YouTube, Waymo, Waze, Nest, and Fitbit.
In March 2026, Google and Meta lost a social media addiction case in California. A jury found the companies liable for $6 million in compensatory and punitive damages for allegedly designing their products to be addictive. Google launched an appeal of the verdict in July 2026.

Elon Musk founded Space Exploration Technologies, commonly known as SpaceX, to reduce the cost of space travel through reusable rockets. Its businesses span several industries, but its biggest revenue driver is telecommunications through its Starlink satellite internet service.
SpaceX conducted its IPO in June 2026, immediately becoming one of the world's largest public companies. Musk is the CEO, the largest shareholder, and controls most of the voting power.

Meta Platforms aims to connect people through technology. It's the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, and WhatsApp. It also develops virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) devices, including the Meta Quest.
The company is using AI to automate ad creation and is developing AI-powered military products. Meta also launched Meta Superintelligence Labs, an AI superintelligence unit, in June 2025. The company settled a lawsuit over social media addiction with 47 states in August 2026, agreeing to pay as much as $17.1 billion in penalties for violating state consumer protection and federal child privacy laws.
*Converted from Chinese yuan.


With more than 325 million subscribers, Netflix (NFLX -5.35%) It is the world's most popular streaming service. It started as a mail-based DVD rental service before launching its streaming service in 2007. Netflix boasts a massive content library of movies, TV shows, and games, with more than half of its content in the U.S. being Netflix Originals.
In 2024, Netflix began a push toward live sports. It streamed the boxing match between Mike Tyson and Jake Paul and aired multiple NFL games.
*Converted from Chinese yuan.
China Mobile is a state-owned telecom company in China. It's the largest wireless carrier in China and the world, with more than 1 billion customers as of the second quarter of 2026.
The company's links to the Chinese government have led to U.S. sanctions. The New York Stock Exchange delisted China Mobile in 2021, and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) designated China Mobile's U.S. subsidiary a national security threat in 2022.

Verizon Communications (VZ -0.89%) is the No. 1 U.S. wireless carrier by market cap and number of subscribers. It had about 147 million subscribers as of June 2026. Like other major wireless companies, Verizon also offers home internet service.
*Converted from Japanese yen.


T-Mobile (TMUS -3.46%) is the second-largest wireless company in the U.S. by number of subscribers. It had about 142 million customers at the end of 2025.
The bulk of T-Mobile's business comes from its postpaid and prepaid wireless plans, but it also offers home internet service and even online banking services. To enhance its home internet, it completed the acquisition of fiber-to-the-home provider Lumos in April 2025.

Walt Disney (DIS -1.73%) is one of the world's most iconic media and entertainment companies. Its entertainment division includes film production, multiple streaming services, and TV channels. The experiences division has theme parks, resorts, cruises, and vacation packages. Disney also has a sports division led by ESPN.
The communications sector comprises a diverse range of companies in interactive media, entertainment, and telecom, but it's top-heavy. Alphabet, SpaceX, and Meta are all far larger than any other communications companies.
Still, investors have plenty of options in this sector. Wireless companies are common, and although they sometimes underperform the overall stock market, they are often good dividend stocks.
Interactive media and entertainment companies, on the other hand, tend to be growth stocks. Many of these companies are somewhat volatile and can be heavily affected by economic downturns. This can lead to short-term turbulence, but there are always valuable investment opportunities among the best communications stocks.
Tencent (TCEHY +1.34%) is a holding company that focuses on internet and technology services. It's the largest publicly traded company in China and one of the world's largest video game companies, a position it has bolstered in recent years with major investments in Ubisoft Entertainment (UBSFY -3.87%) and Lighthouse Games.
This company offers multiple instant messaging apps, including WeChat. It also operates a film production company, a video streaming service, music ventures, and several other products and services.
| Name and ticker | Market capMarket cap calculated using publicly traded shares outstanding only. Does not include unlisted, private, or dual-class non-traded shares. Implied market cap may vary. | Current price | Industry |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOGL) | $4.1 trillion | $338.46 | Interactive Media and Services |
| Space Exploration Technologies (NASDAQ:SPCX) | $2.0 trillion | $147.95 | Diversified Telecommunication Services |
| Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META) | $1.6 trillion | $616.77 | Interactive Media and Services |
| Tencent (OTC:TCEHY) | $510.5 billion | $56.60 | Interactive Media and Services |
| Netflix (NASDAQ:NFLX) | $325.8 billion | $78.25 | Entertainment |
| China Mobile (FRA:CTM) | $184.4 billion | €7.98 | Wireless Telecommunication Services |
| Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) | $208.3 billion | $50.14 | Diversified Telecommunication Services |
| SoftBank Group (OTC:SFTBF) | $196.1 billion | $34.41 | Wireless Telecommunication Services |
| T-Mobile US (NASDAQ:TMUS) | $194.7 billion | $181.52 | Wireless Telecommunication Services |
| Walt Disney (NYSE:DIS) | $181.8 billion | $105.31 | Entertainment |