Satellite connection for normal smartphones: T-Mobile US announces beta test
Thanks to Starlink, T-Mobile US smartphones will soon be able to send texts without a mobile connection.
(Image: T-Mobile US)
T-Mobile US announced the free beta test of its Starlink connection for conventional smartphones with an advertisement at the Super Bowl. Those who sign up now will be able to add the additional function for USD 10 per month from July, while all others will have to pay USD 15. However, customers of other providers can also take part; for them, the ability to send text messages anywhere will cost an extra 20 US dollars per month. Connected smartphones will connect directly to the Internet satellites in areas without a mobile phone connection. Audio, video and other services will also be possible at a later date.
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The promotional video for the beta test begins by stating that around 500,000 square miles (around 1.3 million square kilometers) of the area of the United States are not covered by mobile communications. That's about the size of Germany, France and Poland combined. Emergency calls could not be made there, nor could emotional messages about newborn babies, sporting successes or videos of one's own children. However, the affected areas are mainly uninhabited regions. The main argument in favor of satellite connectivity is therefore likely to remain the ability to make emergency calls and report from the wilderness.
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SpaceX and T-Mobile US presented the cooperation two and a half years ago, with the beta test originally scheduled for 2023. However, Elon Musk's space company did not start launching the special satellites for direct mobile phone connectivity into space until early 2024. According to T-Mobile, 451 of them are now in orbit. This delay is another reason why the satellite connection of smartphones via the US provider is no longer a novelty; a similar emergency call function has been available for iPhones for years. At T-Mobile US, however, this now works with many more models, including many from Samsung, Google and Motorola, and not just in emergencies.
(mho)
