On Sunday, T-Mobile announced that it has begun large-scale testing of its “satellite-to-cell” service based on SpaceX’s Starlink, as the U.S. wireless carrier aims to eliminate mobile “dead zones” and expand access to remote areas.
The beta version will be free until July, after which the plan will be included in T-Mobile’s premium Go5G Next plan at no additional cost. Once the service launches commercially this summer, it will be available as an add-on to all other plans for $15 per month.
This move could mark a significant shift in mobile communications, bridging the gap between traditional cellular networks and satellite technology to provide seamless coverage anywhere on Earth.
T-Mobile stated that 500,000 square miles of U.S. territory, previously unreachable by terrestrial cell towers, can now stay connected.
The beta version will offer text messaging services via satellite, while voice and data capabilities will be added later, the company announced during the Super Bowl on Sunday.
Customers who sign up for the trial version will receive a 33% discount when the service is commercially launched, the wireless carrier said.
The service could enhance the company’s competitive edge, as its investments in expanding coverage—including in smaller markets and rural areas—have contributed to the industry’s largest net phone additions in the fourth quarter.
“This is something no one else has done in the U.S., and one of the key differences in this network is that it works on nearly all smartphones from the past four years,” said Mike Katz, president of marketing, strategy, and products, in an interview with Reuters.
T-Mobile is working closely with Apple and Google to “ensure that this experience is integrated directly into their OS (operating systems), making it the default satellite system on both of these phones,” Katz said.
The carrier is offering the T-Mobile Starlink service directly to all wireless users, including customers of competing telecom companies AT&T and Verizon, without requiring them to switch providers.
