Key points:
- T-Mobile expanded the current free beta to be open to "everyone" with a compatible phone - even those who do not currently have T-Mobile service.
- The free beta is slated to end in July - at which point T-Mobile Starlink service will be included for free with T-Mobile's flagship plans, including the Go5G Next plan.
- T-Mobile Starlink coverage can be added to other T-Mobile plans for $15/mo, and those with primary cellular service on other carriers can add T-Mobile Starlink service for $20/month.
T-Mobile and SpaceX announced a partnership in 2022 to "eliminate dead zones" by piggybacking a cellular payload onto a subset of Starlink satellites. The goal is to beam down a 4G signal that would be compatible with regular, everyday cellular phones without needing special hardware.
The initial announcement was overly optimistic about schedules (typical for SpaceX), forecasting beta service availability in late 2023.
But better late than never - it is here at last!
T-Mobile began signing up customers a few weeks ago for T-Mobile Starlink beta testing, and in a splashy Super Bowl ad this weekend, T-Mobile announced that it was expanding this beta program to enable "anyone, on any wireless carrier" to have FREE satellite service until the beta ends in July.
In addition to the expanded beta, T-Mobile has revealed the future service pricing for the first time and published an expanded list of compatible phone models.
But before you get too excited - remember that this is NOT satellite broadband beamed down to your pocket!
Service will initially be limited to text messaging, with enhanced capabilities coming over time as the Starlink direct-to-cell (DTC) satellite constellation continues to grow.
Of course, other carriers and phone manufacturers besides T-Mobile and SpaceX are working on satellite direct-to-cell offerings, too.
But wherever the signal comes from, it is great to see satellite coverage becoming more relevant and accessible to more cellular phones.
Even basic text messaging capabilities can be life-saving in remote areas and emergencies.
Table of Contents
T-Mobile Starlink Video Overview
T-Mobile Starlink Service Plan Details & Limitations
T-Mobile revealed that the T-Mobile Starlink beta service will remain free until it is ready for full launch - which is slated to happen in July.
For those enrolled in T-Mobile Starlink service, your phone will "just work" with a clear view of the sky, even when it is far outside normal cellular coverage areas. When cellular T-Mobile coverage is unavailable, your phone will instead show "T-Mobile SpaceX" as the carrier to indicate it is connecting to the satellite signal.
This is essentially a roaming agreement behind the scenes. Your phone roams onto the signal broadcast from Starlink satellites overhead only when no other terrestrial cellular signal is available.
This service only supports SMS text messaging and wireless emergency alerts - at least at first.
This means that voice calls and most internet activities, including messaging services like Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, Signal, and Telegram, will be blocked.
And even Apple's iMessage will likely have to fall back to SMS "green bubble" mode.
But things will get better over time - and T-Mobile and SpaceX claim to have "a roadmap to go beyond text messaging to deliver picture messaging, data services, and voice calling in the future" as network capacity and satellite capabilities expand.
SpaceX is also waiting for expanded FCC licensing to allow for more powerful transmissions, allowing each satellite to serve more customers and provide higher speeds.
T-Mobile President & CEO Mike Sievert explains:
“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.”
International Roaming Supported, But Not True Global Coverage
Because Starlink direct-to-cell uses the same broadcast frequencies as terrestrial cell towers, it can only broadcast into locations where it has a terrestrial cell carrier partner who can coordinate sharing the airwaves.
In the United States - this partner is T-Mobile.
SpaceX is working with other carriers around the world, and reciprocal roaming agreements should allow Starlink direct-to-cell satellite service to travel into these other territories.
So far, KDDI (Japan), Telstra (Australia), Optus (Australia), One NZ (New Zealand), Salt (Switzerland), Entel (Chile & Peru), Rogers (Canada) and Kyivstar (Ukraine) are among the providers that have signed on with SpaceX.
In areas without a terrestrial cell partner, SpaceX cannot offer direct-to-cell connectivity.
SpaceX has not discussed any open ocean plans yet - but these are areas where coordinating with a terrestrial partner may not be necessary.
T-Mobile Starlink Device Compatibility
One great thing about Starlink's direct-to-cell service is that it uses existing 1900 MHz cellular frequency bands (LTE Band 26) and 4G transmission standards, which are technically compatible with most existing cellular devices.
Currently, the FCC has only authorized 5 MHz of spectrum from band 26 for satellite service. The satellites themselves can support many more frequencies, and the FCC may approve more in the future.
But because FCC testing and licensing needs to be updated for each phone model to enable it to broadcast into space legally - it seems that T-Mobile is only aiming to support "most smartphones from the last four years" - with the list currently including:
- Apple iPhone 14 and later (including Plus, Pro & Pro Max)
- Google Pixel 9 (including Pro, Pro Fold, & Pro XL)
- Motorola 2024 and later (including razr, razr+, edge and g series)
- Samsung Galaxy A14, A15, A16, A35, A53, A54
- Samsung Galaxy S21 and later (including Plus, Ultra and Fan Edition)
- Samsung Galaxy X Cover6 Pro
- Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3 and later
- Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 and later
- REVVL 7 (including Pro)
Phones may require an OS update to enable compatibility.
Expect more phones to be added to this list over time.
With satellite capacity so constrained - we do not expect T-Mobile to support data-only devices like hotspots, routers, or tablets any time soon.
T-Mobile Starlink Pricing Announced
Once the beta ends in July, the T-Mobile Starlink service will no longer be free for everyone.
Only premium T-Mobile plans will include T-Mobile Starlink for free.
T-Mobile explains:
"The beta is free until July at which point T-Mobile Starlink will be included at no extra cost on Go5G Next (including variations like Go5G Next 55+), T-Mobile’s best plan. Business customers will also get T-Mobile Starlink at no extra cost on Go5G Business Next, first responder agencies on T-Priority plans and other select premium rate plans."
Other T-Mobile customers can add T-Mobile Starlink service for $15/month per line.
And T-Mobile customers who sign up for the beta in February will be eligible to lock in a $10/mo "Early Adopter Discount" once service rolls out in July.
T-Mobile Starlink Also Available For AT&T & Verizon Customers?!?
One surprising twist in T-Mobile's announcement was that the T-Mobile Starlink beta was being opened up to "everyone" - regardless of carrier.
This means that even AT&T and Verizon customers can sign up.
This is a very clever marketing move: T-Mobile encourages customers on other carriers to sign up for its email lists in the hopes of being invited to the beta.
Customers on other carriers who are invited to join will require an unlocked eSIM-compatible phone (from T-Mobile's supported device list).
The phone will then treat the T-Mobile Starlink plan as a second line with its own phone number.
It is currently unclear if T-Mobile will offer a way to seamlessly integrate with people's existing phone numbers for text messaging. If they do not - people may be stuck with a secondary satellite number for emergency texting.
Once the beta period is over - customers on other carriers can keep their T-Mobile Starlink line active for $20/month.
This is potentially a great way to add peace of mind when traveling in remote areas if you do not already have some other satellite service available, such as the GlobalStar service Apple currently provides for free to all recent iPhones.
Even if you do not subscribe to T-Mobile Starlink, T-Mobile will support any compatible device with Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEAs) nationwide, whether you are a customer or not.
This means that everyone should be able to get emergency updates for weather and other types of emergencies - as long as their phone has a clear view of the sky.
This could be a huge benefit to natural disaster areas when cell phone towers are down or destroyed. T-Mobile has already demonstrated this capability in the aftermath of the LA fires.
Cellular & Satellite Connectivity Continue to Merge
T-Mobile & Starlink's direct-to-cellular connectivity isn't the first satellite-to-phone service.
Although Starlink and T-Mobile announced their partnership in 2022, other satellite messaging options have come to market first, and more are coming in the future.
Staying connected almost anywhere will become much easier in the near future with the smartphone you already carry with you; no other special equipment is needed.
Apple iPhone Satellite Messaging
Apple was the first phone manufacturer to bring satellite connectivity to mainstream consumers, beginning with the iPhone 14 back in 2022 by utilizing the existing Globalstar network.
Though initially limited to emergency messaging, Apple has continued expanding satellite capabilities.
Beginning in 2024 - iOS 18 enabled full SMS and iMessage support via satellite on all recent iPhone models.
Google Joins the Satellite Messaging Race
Google joined in on emergency satellite messaging with their Pixel 9 phone, but currently, it's still limited to emergency messaging use.
Skylo currently supports this service, and users can use the service free for 2 years.
AST SpaceMobile
One of the most intriguing satellite message services we are waiting to go live is AST SpaceMobile.
AT&T and Verizon have both partnered with AST SpaceMobile to bring satellite connectivity to their customers, and SpaceMobile has staged some impressive demonstrations.
It will take somewhere between 45 and 60 SpaceMobile satellites (out of an ultimate planned total of 243) in orbit before SpaceMobile can offer 24/7 coverage of the continental United States.
AST SpaceMobile has only launched 5 satellites so far, so they still have to launch many more before they will have enough coverage for a wide beta offering.
Concluding Thoughts
Cellular coverage reaches 98% of the United States population, and cellular performance and coverage are constantly improving.
But no matter what, there will ALWAYS be places that remain out of reach of cellular towers.
That is where satellite direct-to-cell services come in - not as a replacement for cellular, but to fill in these inevitable gaps.
All the carriers are partnering to enable this technology, and T-Mobile and SpaceX are looking to jump into the lead thanks to the cellular payload's ability to hitch a ride on SpaceX's frequent Starlink launches.
And once SpaceX's Starship and the hugely upgraded Starlink V3 satellites are ready, this lead should increase.
Staying connected anywhere you go for safety and convenience will be easier than ever.
It's an exciting time to see the satellite and cellular connectivity worlds merging together!
For anyone interested in checking out the T-Mobile Starlink beta, you can register with T-Mobile here.
Use our referral link when setting up a new Starlink account, and get a FREE month of service!
And so will someone on our team, which helps us keep our multiple lines of service active for continued testing.
It's a win-win - you save money and help support MIRC!
Further Reading
- Mobile Satellite Internet Options -
Our featured guide on all the current and future satellite internet options of interest to RVers and cruisers. - All our our Satellite Internet Resources - Our collection of guides, gear center entries and news coverage on satellite internet.
- Industry Update: Mobile Satellite Internet for RVers & Boaters – Early 2024 Update: Starlink, Kuiper, Direct To Cellular, and Beyond! - Our deep dive into the state of the satellite internet world.
And here is all of our recent Starlink & T-Mobile coverage:
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