T-Mobile opens registration for Starlink satellite-to-cell beta launch
Puerto Rico customers may sign up early next year to participate in the test, helping the carrier eliminate mobile dead zones.
Puerto Rico customers signed up with T-Mobile can now register for a beta program for T-Mobile Starlink, a direct-to-cell satellite service designed to eliminate dead zones by providing coverage in areas of the U.S. mainland and Puerto Rico not served by traditional cell towers, the carrier announced.
The beta program follows the Federal Communications Commission’s approval of the initiative, allowing T-Mobile to integrate about 300 satellites into its network to “make dead zones yesterday’s news,” the company stated.
All T-Mobile customers — including businesses and first responders — are eligible to register for the beta launch. However, first responders will be prioritized due to their critical role in community safety.
“T-Mobile Starlink is the first major low-earth orbit constellation in the world paired with terrestrial cellular spectrum, making the phone in your pocket work in areas of the U.S. that have never, and probably never will, have ground based coverage,” said Mike Katz, president of Marketing, Strategy and Products at T-Mobile.
“It’s a truly groundbreaking engineering breakthrough and means that we are one step closer to helping T-Mobile customers have confidence that, no matter where they are, if they can see the sky, they will be covered by T-Mobile,” he added.
The beta program is free for all T-Mobile postpaid voice customers with a compatible device. It offers a “sneak peek to a not-so-distant future mostly free of cellular dead zones,” the carrier stated.
Initially, the service will support texting, with voice and data capabilities planned for future expansion.
Starlink’s direct-to-cell satellite constellation is specifically designed to integrate with T-Mobile’s terrestrial network, promising a user-friendly experience compared to existing satellite messaging services. For example, users will not need to hold their phones in a specific position to search for signals; inbound and outbound messages will work like any other text message, company officials said.
Although not yet ready for full commercial deployment, T-Mobile Starlink was temporarily activated earlier this year during hurricanes Helene and Milton. The service provided critical communication options for those unable to connect through other means.
“Even without the full constellation in place, customers with capable devices were able to receive critical emergency alerts and send and receive messages when satellites were overhead,” the carrier stated.
