T-Mobile opens its Starlink Beta, including to people with AT&T and Verizon2025-02-11 16:36 by DanielaTags: T-Mobile, Starlink, AT&T, Verizon
T-Mobile's Starlink-powered direct-to-cell satellite messaging service is now open for anyone in the US to try for free - including people who aren't T-Mobile customers. The service will be limited to text messaging at first but the company hopes to have some apps and even limited multimedia support ready by the time it goes live this summer. It will cost T-Mobile users $15 per month once the free testing period ends in July, or $10 for customers who participated in the beta trial. Verizon and AT&T customers can also try the service for free according to T-Mobile's press release, and will pay $20 a month per line. T-Mobile customers paying for the carrier's priciest Go5G Next plan (which starts at $105 per month) will have the Starlink feature baked in at no additional cost. The move could mark a pivotal shift in mobile connectivity, bridging the gap between traditional cell networks and satellite technology to ensure seamless coverage anywhere on Earth. Over the past 13 months, SpaceX's Starlink division has launched about 450 Direct to Cell satellites that can provide service to mobile phones in areas where there are no cell towers. Starlink is partnering with cellular carriers in multiple countries, and T-Mobile is its primary commercial partner in the US. T-Mobile says the goal is to provide telecom service in dead zones, the 500,000 square miles of the US that aren't reached by any terrestrial cell tower. When a user crosses into a dead zone, their phone is supposed to automatically connect to Starlink satellites. T-Mobile Starlink only supports texting for now, but T-Mobile says voice calls and data service will be available eventually. Read more -here-
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