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The direct-to-device (D2D) satellite service is powered by SpaceX’s Starlink constellation
This week, T-Mobile has concluded the open beta phase of its D2D satellite service, officially launching it under the name ‘T-Satellite’.
The service, powered by 650 next-generation low Earth orbit satellites from Starlink, provides coverage across the continental US, Hawaii, parts of southern Alaska, and Puerto Rico, theoretically eliminating ‘not spots’ in most of the country.
For now, Starlink’s D2D capabilities are limited to text and location services, with data services set to be added in October. Voice and video services will need to wait for later generations of the Starlink satellites.
T-Mobile launched the open beta phase of the service in February, inviting not only its own customers to try it out but also those of AT&T and Verizon. Since then, the service has attracted over 1.8 million users, including thousands from the company’s rivals.
The service is curretly supported by around 60 commercial smartphones, with customers on eligible devices automatically shifted to the satellite network when they enter an area with no terrestrial coverage.
For a ‘limited time’, ‘T-Satellite’ is being offered for an additional $10 a month, with prices expected to then increase to $15 per month. In addition, the service is included by default in a number of T-Mobile’s premium plans, such as Go5G Next and Go5G Business Next. Previous announcements suggest the service will also be available to AT&T and Verizon customers from $20 a month.
An infographic on the company’s website (see below) compares its satellite service to that of rivals AT&T and Verizon, describing them as “scrambling to catch up”. The graphic says customers are “still searching the skies for signs of life” from AT&T’s satellite service, while Verizon customers will be “waving [their] device in the air like a magic wand”.
Image by T-Mobile
Verizon launched its own free satellite service with Skylo earlier this year. Skylo does not own its own satellites, but rather partners with multiple existing satellite operators to provide D2D satellite services using its proprietary technology. Verizon is also partnering directly with AST SpaceMobile for similar services, with the AST having launched five commercial ‘BlueBird’ satellites in September last year.
AT&T is similarly betting on AST, having announced the results of its latest satellite tests with the satellite operator shortly after the T-Mobile announcement. An official timeline for of the launch of commercial services, however, has not yet been released.
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