A T-Mobile store in New York City
T-Mobile announced the launch of its T-Mobile Starlink satellite service.
The move on the heels of Federal Communications Commission approval of a license for T-Mobile and SpaceX Starlink to provide supplemental coverage from space in a bid to extend internet access to remote areas.
The new offering will keep users remain connected to the T-Mobile network by interconnecting it with the Starlink, a satellite internet constellation operated by Starlink Services, a wholly owned subsidiary of SpaceX.
Starlink, which was launched in 2009, provides voice and data services to over 100 countries.
The T-Mobile Starlink beta program will help customers with compatible smartphones avoid dead zones by leveraging Starlink’s 300 direct‑to‑cell satellites to provide coverage for 500,000 square miles (1.3 billion square miles) of land in the United States that are not covered by cell towers, according to T-Mobile.
At launch – projected for early 2025 – Starlink will only support text messaging, but T-Mobile said that the service eventually will be expanding to data and voice. The beta will afford users high-speed internet connectivity in challenging-to-access places such as rural locations, concerts, and even airplanes.
“Thank you for registering for the T-Mobile Starlink beta,” the registration confirmation message said after entering the requested information. The sign-up form then reminds the user that Starlink beta registration applies only for line for which the application was submitted and each line must be registered separately.
(Photo: Accura Media Group)
