Robert Besser
15 Feb 2025, 09:01 GMT+10
BELLEVUE, Washington: T-Mobile will roll out its satellite-to-cell service powered by SpaceX's Starlink in July, aiming to eliminate mobile dead zones and provide seamless connectivity across remote areas in the U.S.
The service will cost US$15 per month and is expected to revolutionize mobile communication by integrating satellite technology with traditional cell networks. The company said this week that more than 500,000 square miles of the U.S. that were previously out of reach for terrestrial cell towers will now have coverage.
T-Mobile kicked off a beta trial of the service, which will remain free for users until the official launch. Once commercially available, it will be included in the premium Go5G Next plan at no extra charge, while other subscribers who participated in the beta will receive a 33 percent discount on the service.
The company is expanding access beyond its own customers, making T-Mobile Starlink available to users of competing carriers such as AT&T and Verizon without requiring them to switch networks.
The beta phase will initially support text messaging, with voice and data features to be introduced later. The announcement was made during the Super Bowl, underscoring the company's ambitious plans for expanding nationwide coverage.
Mike Katz, T-Mobile's president of marketing, strategy, and products, highlighted the unique nature of the service, stating:
"This is something that nobody else in the U.S. has done, and one of the big distinctive things this network has is that it works across almost all smartphones from the last four years."
T-Mobile has also been working closely with Apple and Google to integrate the satellite connectivity directly into their operating systems, ensuring that this technology becomes the default satellite system for both platforms, Katz said.
The announcement boosted T-Mobile's stock by approximately 4 percent in premarket trading on Monday, signaling strong investor confidence in the potential of satellite-based mobile connectivity.
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