1 day ago
1
T-MOBILE will introduce a data service on its satellite-to-cell network, powered by SpaceX’s Starlink, at the start of October, the company’s head of marketing, strategy and products said during a live event in Bellevue.
Over 1.8 million customers have signed up for the service since its beta program launch at the end of 2024, including “hundreds of thousands of customers from AT&T and Verizon,” Mike Katz said on Monday.
T-Satellite will commercially launch on July 23, with SMS texting, MMS, picture messaging and short audio clips. On Oct. 1, it will launch a data service to allow application experiences on the satellite network.
With over 657 Starlink satellites supporting customers with the service, the US wireless carrier is looking to eliminate mobile dead zones and extend connectivity to more than 500,000 square miles in the United States that traditional cell towers cannot reach, including those of Verizon and AT&T.
“The vast majority of signups were after we did the Super Bowl ad,” Katz told Reuters in an interview.
Katz said that the satellite beta adoption has been fairly balanced between the top 100 markets and small town rural areas in the US.
T-Satellite will be included at no extra cost with T-Mobile’s new “Experience Beyond” plan. For others — including AT&T and Verizon customers — the service will be available for $10 per month.
T-Mobile said that it anticipates satellite-enabled apps from AccuWeather, AllTrails, Apple, Google, WhatsApp and X, among many others, in the future.
Get the latest news
delivered to your inbox
Sign up for The Manila Times newsletters
By signing up with an email address, I acknowledge that I have read and agree to the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
