(Photo illustration by Cheng Xin/Getty Images)
T-Mobile's cellular Starlink service for phones is here. But rival AT&T isn’t staying quiet and reminding customers that its own satellite offering is on the horizon.
On Wednesday, AT&T tried to grab some of the spotlight from the T-Satellite launch by revealing that it completed a native voice call using its radio spectrum through the company’s satellite partner, AST SpaceMobile, an emerging rival to SpaceX's cellular Starlink service.
The voice call was routed through AST’s five BlueBird satellites in Earth’s orbit, “with a standard cell phone using AT&T spectrum and passing through the AT&T core network,” the carrier said.
(Credit: AST SpaceMobile)AT&T likely wanted to signal that its own satellite-to-phone technology is coming, with the goal of beating T-Satellite on features. Although T-Mobile has a head start, its satellite-to-phone service is currently limited to text messaging and sharing locations. SpaceX plans on adding voice and video call support, but the exact timeline remains unclear.
Meanwhile, AST is developing its own rival service, which has attracted AT&T, Verizon, and European carrier Vodafone as partners while securing investment from Google. AT&T’s announcement underscores the growing competition in satellite-to-phone connectivity, which can beam signals to users in cellular dead zones. In February, the carrier demonstrated it was able to power a video call through AST’s satellites.
The technology harnesses orbiting satellites to act as cell towers in Earth’s orbit. The problem is AST only has five BlueBird satellites in operation, whereas SpaceX currently has over 650 cellular Starlink satellites. That's enough for coverage across the globe, including in other markets such as Canada, Japan, and New Zealand.
It’s also why AT&T (and Verizon) customers still need to wait. AST's five BlueBird satellites have only been able to offer two 15-minute windows of coverage per day, AT&T told us last year. But AST is aiming to dramatically increase its satellite constellation by launching more powerful, second-generation BlueBirds in the coming months. Its first prototype second-gen BlueBird is slated to launch next month through India’s space agency, according to a presentation slide posted on social media.
AST’s goal is to kick off a commercial service for consumers early next year. “Our plan is for this service to be text, internet, data, and access to applications like video conferencing,” AST CEO Abel Avellan said in May.
But reaching the goal will depend on whether AST can launch enough satellites in the intervening months while securing regulatory approval from the US Federal Communications Commission. If it can’t, then consumers can expect delays.
Satellite industry analyst Tim Farrar also points out AT&T might be trying to lower the expectations for AST's service. The carrier has revised some of the language promoting the upcoming technology to say "one day it may also support video services. In contrast, weeks earlier, the site said the satellite service was being designed to offer a "full suite of connectivity: voice, data, text, and video services in remote, off-grid locations."
In the meantime, T-Mobile has made its cellular Starlink service available to customers on rival carriers, including AT&T and Verizon, for $10 per month. T-Mobile even offered the satellite capability for free to AT&T and Verizon subscribers during the free beta period. But now, new customers will need to call or visit a T-Mobile store for access.