(Credit: T-Mobile)
T-Mobile said today that customers on its most expensive Go5G Next plan will receive access to satellite-to-phone connectivity via SpaceX's Starlink as a free perk starting in July. On all other plans, it will be $15 per month per line.
The interesting part is that T-Mobile also plans on offering the Starlink connectivity to AT&T and Verizon customers, who will pay $20 per month per line. They will only need a compatible and unlocked smartphone that supports eSIMs, says Clint Patterson, T-Mobile's SVP of marketing.
"They add a second SIM to the phone" to get cellular Starlink, Patterson says. The T-Mobile-Starlink eSIM can then be used to receive satellite-based SMS messaging in areas without ground-based cell coverage.
T-Mobile published an online list of supported phones, which will be updated over time with more device models. "We've done a lot of work with OEMs and handset providers. So this will work on most smartphones from the last four years," Patterson says. "When you see that list, you'll see things like Galaxy S21 and later, iPhone 14 and later."
T-Mobile plans to officially launch its cellular Starlink service in July, when a free test beta announced in December ends. The carrier revealed the news in a Super Bowl commercial about T-Mobile's partnership with SpaceX. The resulting “space-based network,” spanning over 400 satellites, is capable of beaming data to unmodified smartphones on the ground, giving consumers a way to receive a signal even in a cellular dead zone.
Last month, the carrier invited select T-Mobile users on newer iPhones, Samsung Galaxy and Pixel devices to try out the satellite connectivity. The Super Bowl ad takes things further, with T-Mobile confirming it’ll expand the free beta program to "anyone on any wireless carrier."
The offer lasts until July. For now, the satellite connectivity only supports SMS-based text messaging in dead zones. But over time, SpaceX plans on rolling out support for voice calls and data downloads, pending some regulatory lobbying.
In July, business customers will also get T-Mobile Starlink at no extra cost on Go 5G Business Next, first responder agencies on T-Priority plans, and other select premium rate plans.
(Credit: T-Mobile)The move to include rival carriers is sure to turn heads since AT&T and Verizon are both pursuing their own satellite ventures through AST SpaceMobile and Skylo, respectively. But in AST’s case, the company still remains months away at best from offering the satellite-to-phone service to mainstream consumers.
(T-Mobile says it didn’t initially plan to open Starlink’s cellular service to users on rival carriers. But that changed after Verizon aired a big-budget commercial last week touting its own satellite-to-phone capabilities.)
As for SpaceX, the company received FCC clearance in November to commercially operate the cellular Starlink service. The license permits SpaceX to use T-Mobile’s radio spectrum in the 1900MHz block to beam the satellite connectivity to certified devices.
The latest phones from Apple, Samsung, and Google have received an FCC Part 25 Supplement Coverage from Space certification. Hence, T-Mobile should be able to beam the satellite data connectivity to them, even though they may be running on another carrier’s network.
T-Mobile customers with iPhones and Galaxy devices have already tried out the cellular Starlink service through the beta program. It has enabled them to send SMS text messages in remote areas in the US, but the signal quality isn’t always consistent. "It does drop signal quite often. You do get a notification when you are connected, though,” one beta tester told PCMag.
That said, SpaceX is preparing to launch hundreds of additional cellular Starlink satellites, which promise to boost the signal quality. In a statement, T-Mobile CEO Mike Sievert said: “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.”
In terms of pricing, the $15 and $20 monthly fees may be high for consumers, especially if they don’t live near any cellular dead zones. But T-Mobile is offering an early adopter discount to its own subscribers through this month that cuts the price to $10 per month per line.