SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has revealed the launch date for T-Mobile’s direct-to-cell service. In 2022, SpaceX and T-Mobile formed a partnership to leverage SpaceX’s Starlink satellites and T-Mobile’s spectrum to provide connectivity in areas that lack terrestrial network coverage.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) approved some of their plans in late 2024, setting the stage for the announcement of the beta program. Earlier this month, T-Mobile began notifying customers who were approved for the beta.
Now, the beta is set to commence soon. On January 24, Musk announced that the direct-to-cell beta would start in three days, specifically on January 27. This news is expected to please many users, especially since an employee had previously indicated that the program might not launch until early February.
Starlink’s direct satellite-to-cell phone internet connection will begin beta testing in three days.
To offer supplemental coverage from space (SCS), SpaceX’s Gen2 Starlink constellation will use T-Mobile’s C Block PCS spectrum to communicate with smartphones.
This service aims to provide connectivity in areas lacking terrestrial cell coverage and to ensure that communication remains available during power outages.
The beta program will be free for all postpaid customers, although initially, only a limited selection of Samsung phones will be compatible. More devices will be made compatible as T-Mobile implements optimizations.
For the time being, only texting will be available. SpaceX has announced that data and IoT services are expected to launch in 2025, with voice support to follow; however, it remains uncertain how this will unfold since regulatory approval for a waiver needed to activate services beyond texting has not yet been granted. This development represents a significant achievement not just for SpaceX and T-Mobile, but also for their customers.
With the removal of dead zones, users will no longer have to worry about being without service in rural or remote regions. It is important to note that space-based texting may experience delivery delays, and performance could be influenced by factors such as location and the number of users accessing the service simultaneously.
