Insider Brief
- T-Mobile, in partnership with Starlink, has officially opened registration for its beta program to test direct-to-cell satellite connectivity to eliminate cellular dead zones across the United States by integrating Starlink’s satellite network with T-Mobile’s terrestrial infrastructure.
- The program, free for T-Mobile postpaid voice customers with compatible devices, starts with support for text messaging. Voice and data services will follow in future updates.
- T-Mobile is prioritizing first responders and critical agencies in the beta program, recognizing their essential role in public safety. The service is also available to any T-Mobile customer who wants to test the technology or stay informed on its progress.
T-Mobile, in partnership with Starlink, announced it has officially opened registration for its beta program to test direct-to-cell satellite connectivity. The initiative aims to eliminate cellular dead zones across the United States by integrating Starlink’s satellite network with T-Mobile’s terrestrial infrastructure.
The program, free for T-Mobile postpaid voice customers with compatible devices, starts with support for text messaging. Voice and data services will follow in future updates. This marks a major step toward achieving T-Mobile’s goal of delivering reliable coverage in areas unreachable by ground-based cell towers.
T-Mobile is prioritizing first responders and critical agencies in the beta program, recognizing their essential role in public safety. The service is also available to any T-Mobile customer who wants to test the technology or stay informed on its progress.
Starlink’s direct-to-cell satellites are designed to integrate seamlessly with T-Mobile’s network. Unlike other satellite messaging services, users will not need specialized devices or manual signal adjustments. Messages are sent and received like standard texts as long as the phone has line-of-sight to the sky.
While still in development, T-Mobile Starlink demonstrated its value during recent hurricanes. Temporary activation allowed users in disaster-hit areas to send messages and receive emergency alerts when traditional cellular and broadband networks were unavailable.
T-Mobile and Starlink aim to cover over 500,000 square miles of remote U.S. land and vast ocean regions currently outside cellular coverage. The companies also seek to expand globally through partnerships with wireless carriers such as KDDI (Japan), Optus (Australia), Rogers (Canada), and others. The goal is to enable seamless roaming across participating networks worldwide.
Image credit: TMobile
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