Two years ago, T-Mobile inked a deal with SpaceX to enable network connectivity via the Starlink constellation of satellites. Late in 2024, the carrier opened registrations for beta testing its direct-to-cell satellite service. Today, the company aired a Super Bowl ad and announced that the beta testing is now open to everyone.
The coolest part is that T-Mobile will offer free access for all registrations until July. Once the beta freebie is phased out, the service will be bundled at no extra cost for subscribers on the Go5G Next plan covering individual and business customers.
Any T-Mobile customer, however, would be able to add the satellite service after paying $15 per month atop their existing plan. Those who register for the beta testing in February will get access to T-Mobile Starlink at a discounted rate of $10 per month.
Of course, the carrier won’t miss such a ripe opportunity to lure in new customers. To that end, registrations for the new service, dubbed T-Mobile Starlink, will be open to subscribers of rival networks such as Verizon and AT&T for free. After July, they can still access the service at a $20 per month rate for each connection line.
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What to expect from T-Mobile Starlink?
In the early phase, the direct-to-cell satellite network will only allow sending text messages (both person-to-person and group chats) when users are stuck in dead zones aka areas without any cell tower coverage. T-Mobile says the satellite network coverage will span an area of over half a million square miles.
Down the road, as the infrastructure matures and more satellites are injected into the orbit, T-Mobile Starlink will switch from text-only message format to sending multimedia messages, as well. The company hasn’t detailed the specific hardware requirements, but says T-Mobile Starlink “works on most smartphones from the last four years.”
As the bandwidth matures, the carrier will open the doors for calling and data services, too. Looking over at the competition, Vodafone recently bagged the honor of making the first “space video call” over network lanes beamed from a satellite.
T-Mobile’s initiative is the first of its kind from a US-based carrier, even though an emergency satellite communication facility has been available for at least a couple of years, championed by the likes of Apple. The Un-carrier is taking care of that aspect, as well.
When users find themselves in dead zones, their phones will be able to relay Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEAs) and receive critical alerts such as weather-related disasters. T-Mobile says this facility will be available to users across the country via its satellite network system.
“T-Mobile Starlink is the first and only space-based mobile network in the US. It’s a massive technical achievement and an absolute game changer for ALL wireless users,” says T-Mobile chief Mike Sievert. AT&T has also inked a deal with AST SpaceMobile to offer satellite-to-phone services in the near future, while Verizon is working with Skylo to deliver the convenience.
T-Mobile’s satellite connectivity service will launch widely in July for subscribers. As for the open beta registration phase, users will be enrolled on ongoing basis, says the company.