UPDATE FEBRUARY 2025:
T-Mobile has officially announced its Starlink beta and opened it to customers from all carriers. This means customers currently with carriers like AT&T and Verizon can also access T-Mobile Starlink coverage for free until July 2025. Learn if your phone is eligible and how to sign up in our T-Mobile Starlink beta guide.
T-Mobile boasts the largest 5G footprint of the big three carriers (T-Mobile, AT&T, and Verizon). And thanks to SpaceX's Starlink satellite internet, the carrier's coverage is poised to get even stronger.
In 2022, T-Mobile announced it was teaming up with Starlink to fuse traditional terrestrial mobile networks with satellite internet to expand cell phone coverage.
According to documents recently filed with the FCC, SpaceX predicts it will launch its commercial direct-to-cellular service with T-Mobile in the fall of 2024. While it appears the service will start with texting, the ultimate goal is to expand to phone calls and data connectivity in the coming years.
T-Mobile and Starlink 5G partnership
In an August 25, 2022 announcement, T-Mobile CEO and President Mike Sievert, alongside SpaceX Chief Engineer Elon Musk, unveiled a plan to provide satellite-to-cellular service. Utilizing second-generation Starlink satellites, T-Mobile will be able to access mid-band PCS spectrum broadcasts. This means satellites can transmit directly to mobile devices to eliminate dead zones nationwide.
In January of 2024, Starlink announced it had finally completed the first tests of this new satellite network. The Starlink team successfully sent text messages using unmodified cell phones connected to T-Mobile's network spectrum. While the tests were a solid first step, it was not clear if the Starlink satellite constellation could handle the full volume of T-Mobile's customer base. Since then, new documents have come out that imply the network is much closer to reality than most experts realized.
SpaceX filed paperwork with the FCC in May requesting changes to the commission's frequency policies. In the document's first paragraph, the company stated it was looking "forward to launching commercial direct-to-cellular service in the United States this fall." That would be a major development and one of the biggest coverage updates of the year.
It's important to note that T-Mobile has been quiet on this development. SpaceX is the only company to mention the network launch, so it's not clear it will actually happen. It's possible the project could be delayed until 2025 as SpaceX continues to add satellite infrastructure.
Better T-Mobile rural coverage
While T-Mobile features the best nationwide 5G coverage, its rural 4G LTE service lags behind AT&T and Verizon. The addition of satellite coverage means T-Mobile customers can tap into sat-to-cellular service all across the continental United States, Hawaii, select areas in Puerto Rico and Alaska, plus "territorial waters."
Verizon and AT&T both offer stronger 4G signal strength than T-Mobile—but its newfound partnership with Starlink might change that. By bolstering its exceptional 5G network with satellite internet, basic mobile data services should work in more spots than before.
No extra charge for Starlink connectivity popular plans
As of right now, SpaceX connectivity will be freely included on T-Mobile's popular plans. Granted, pricing and availability are subject to change, but no extra charge for satellite internet would be a nice perk for folks with certain T-Mobile plans.
T-Mobile MVNO satellite coverage
It's not clear if MVNOs operating on T-Mobile's network will be offered satellite connectivity once the service goes live. It's possible it could come as a plan inclusion for MVNOs owned outright by T-Mobile—like Mint Mobile or Metro by T-Mobile—and operate as a paid add-on for third-party carriers.
Planned 2024 and 2025 rollout
Documents from SpaceX and industry rumors suggest that texting will be the first service to launch in the fall of 2024. If that timeline proves accurate, voice service (phone calls) and mobile data service should be rolled out by the end of 2025 if there are no significant delays or service issues.
T-Mobile customers should expect this to be a slow rollout. Each step of the plan will be carefully measured by SpaceX and T-Mobile. SpaceX will want to ensure the coverage doesn't impact its Starlink internet users while T-Mobile will want a reliable service for its phone customers.
Satellite-to-cellular limitations
As exciting as its sat-to-cell announcement sounds, T-Mobile and Starlink's capabilities are somewhat limited. The original announcement stated the service required cooperation with messaging apps like WhatsApp to use its satellite connectivity. Unfortunately, apps such as iMessage won't work out of the box.
Additionally, customers should not expect 5G data speeds or a constant connection, at least in the beginning. Smartphone handset antennas are low-powered and Starlink's satellite frequency waves are long-distance. This means while you'll likely have a data connection, it may not be very fast. As of now, it's also not clear if phones will have connectivity indoors. Starlink antennas must be outside and pointed in a specific direction to work. It also appears that the initial texting tests of the network were conducted outdoors.
Finally, T-Mobile lacks global rights to its planned cell spectrum bands. As of now, T-Mobile customers will likely only have connectivity in the United States despite Starlink being a global internet service provider.
Best T-Mobile plans
Whether you want an all-inclusive unlimited data plan with loads of perks or a low-data cheap tier, the Un-carrier has you covered. Our favorite T-Mobile plans include the Experience Beyond unlimited plan, Unlimited Plus Monthly plan, and Essentials family bundle. Check out the best T-Mobile plans below:
|
T-Mobile
Essentials Saver
$50.00/mo
with Auto-Pay - Taxes & Fees NOT included
|
|
T-Mobile
Experience More
$85.00/mo
with Auto-Pay + Taxes and fees
|
|
T-Mobile
Experience Beyond
$100.00/mo
with Auto-Pay + Taxes and fees
|
|
T-Mobile
Essentials
$60.00/mo
with Auto-Pay - Taxes & Fees NOT included
|
|
T-Mobile
Go5G Plus
$90.00/mo
with Auto-Pay - Taxes & Fees included
|
Best satellite internet plans
While Starlink is a popular household name, there are plenty of satellite internet providers for home (or RV) use. Our favorite satellite internet options hail from Hughesnet, Viasat, and Starlink. Take a look at the best satellite home internet providers:
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#1
|
Starlink
Residential 100 Mbps
$55/mo
Available in select locations
+ $369 Upfront
|
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#2
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Viasat
Viasat Essentials
$71.22/mo
for 12 months. Contract required.
|
|
#3
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Hughesnet
Lite
$49.98/mo
($39.99 plan + $9.99 modem)
for 12 months. Service plan availability varies based on geographic area. All plans are subject to the Hughesnet Subscriber Agreement.
+ $99 Upfront
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Max McCaskill
Sr. Staff Writer
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