During the USA"s largest sporting event, the Super Bowl, T-Mobile announced that it is kicking off T-Mobile Starlink, its satellite connectivity beta program, in the country. According to the official announcement, the satellite connectivity service will cover an area of "500,000 square miles of the US without traditional cell towers."
The service is developed in partnership with Starlink satellites, which orbit the Earth over 200 miles above the surface at speeds of 17,000 miles per hour. It is aimed at eliminating mobile dead zones and offering mobile connectivity in areas where cell towers cannot reach.
Last month, T-Mobile silently added satellite support on iPhones, and shortly after, the feature was available for Pixel 9 and Samsung users. Now, the service is available in beta, allowing thousands of users to send and receive text messages directly using satellite even when their phones don"t have cellular coverage.
T-Mobile has designed the service as seamless as possible, removing the need for manual input. For instance, as soon as the phone moves out of the range of cell towers, it will automatically get connected to the T-Mobile Starlink network. Notably, the carrier highlighted that the feature will work on most phones from the last four years. In the future, the services will also support sending and receiving pictures, data access, and voice calls.
Mike Sievert, President and CEO of T-Mobile, said:
T-Mobile Starlink is the first and only space-based mobile network in the US that automatically connects to your phone so you can be connected even where no cellular network reaches. It’s a massive technical achievement and an absolute game changer for ALL wireless users. We’re still in the early days — I don’t want to overhype the experience during a beta test — but we’re officially putting ‘no bars’ on notice. Dead zones, your days are numbered at the Un-carrier.
One of the best features of T-Mobile Starlink satellite services is that AT&T and Verizon customers can also try it out without needing to switch their carriers. The beta test will be free until July. After that, the service will remain free for T-Mobile customers on Go5G Next and Business Next plans. Other T-Mobile customers can add satellite services for an additional $15/month per line. However, those who have subscribed for the beta will get 33% off and add the service for $10/month per line. On the other hand, Verizon and AT&T can try out for $20/month when the full service goes live.