T-Mobile announced on Sunday the launch of wide-scale testing for its satellite-to-cell service, powered by SpaceX’s Starlink, to eliminate mobile dead zones and extend connectivity to remote areas across the United States.
The beta trial will be free until July, after which the service will be included at no extra cost in T-Mobile’s premium Go5G Next plan. Customers on other plans can add the feature for $15 per month once the service launches commercially this summer.
The initiative marks a potential breakthrough in mobile connectivity, integrating traditional cellular networks with satellite technology to provide seamless coverage nationwide. T-Mobile estimates that approximately 500,000 square miles of previously unreachable U.S. territory will now have network access.
During the beta phase, the service will support text messaging via satellite, with voice and data capabilities set to follow at a later stage. The company made the announcement during the Super Bowl on Sunday.
Customers who enroll in the trial will receive a 33% discount when the service officially rolls out later this year.
T-Mobile’s push into satellite technology could strengthen its market position, particularly in rural and underserved areas, where its aggressive expansion efforts have already contributed to industry-leading subscriber growth in the fourth quarter.
“This is something that nobody else in the U.S. has done,” said Mike Katz, T-Mobile’s president of marketing, strategy, and products**, in an interview with Reuters. “One of the big distinctive things about this network is that it works across almost all smartphones from the last four years.”
T-Mobile has collaborated with Apple and Google to integrate the satellite service directly into their operating systems, making it the default satellite connectivity option on their devices.
Unlike traditional carrier-restricted services, T-Mobile Starlink will also be available to customers of rival telecom providers, including AT&T and Verizon, without requiring them to switch carriers.
