IT House, Aug. 26 -- T-Mobile and SpaceX today announced plans to provide smartphone connectivity for virtually anywhere in the U.S. through a new "satellite-to-cellular" service. Elon Musk also released some relevant information on Twitter today, saying that the upcoming second-generation Starlink Internet satellite includes a mobile phone antenna, so that it can connect with T-Mobile's mobile phone in the United States, and may also connect with other carriers.
The new technology will leverage SpaceX's second-generation Starlink satellite in low-Earth orbit and T-Mobile's nationwide midrange 5G spectrum to provide "near-complete coverage" across much of the United States, in addition to territorial waters. If successful, the technology will eliminate "mobile network dead ends" and allow users to stay connected outside of cell towers.
T-Mobile and SpaceX say they want to establish reciprocal roaming agreements with international carriers to provide the service globally in the future.
"It's important, it means that your phone has no dead end anywhere in the world," SpaceX CEO Elon Musk said at a news conference announcing the plan, "and we're very excited to be doing this with T-Mobile." ”
T-Mobile said the "vast majority of smartphones" already connected to its network will be compatible with the new "satellite-to-cellular" service. The satellite connection will use the smartphone's existing cellular chip and will not require a Starlink terminal or any other hardware. According to T-Mobile, "the vast majority" of existing smartphones will be compatible with its satellite connectivity services, so the feature should not require the use of Apple's upcoming iPhone 14 model, which was previously reported to support satellite connectivity. Bloomberg's Mark Gullman has reported that the iPhone 14 model may have satellite connectivity for emergency use, but he said Apple's partner may be satellite company Globalstar, not SpaceX, so the feature may not be related to that.
IT House understands that SpaceX plans to build a second-generation Starlink satellite fleet in low-Earth orbit, equipped with advanced antennas, and smartphones can be connected via T-Mobile's mid-frequency 5G spectrum without the need for any additional hardware. T-Mobile said the service will offer "almost complete coverage of anywhere customers can see the sky," while Elon Musk said it is also possible to go online when a person has their phone in their pocket or in the car.
What is the purpose of satellite connectivity? T-Mobile and SpaceX say the satellite-to-phone service is primarily designed for areas that don't have existing cellular coverage to eliminate mobile dead ends. The service is not meant to replace faster cell phone networks in cities and suburbs, but rather to ensure that people can stay connected in areas where there are no cell towers, communicating basically via text messages and eventual phone calls.
When and where will the service be available? T-Mobile and SpaceX plan to launch beta services by the end of 2023, starting with specific regions in the United States. The service will eventually cover much of the continental United States, Hawaii, parts of Alaska, Puerto Rico and U.S. territorial waters. T-Mobile and SpaceX say they want to establish reciprocal roaming agreements with international carriers to make the service available globally in the future.
How much will this service cost? T-Mobile CEO Mike Sivert said the company plans to offer Starlink satellite connectivity at no extra cost in its "most popular package." For some lower-priced packages, T-Mobile may charge a monthly fee to use the service, which will be priced "well below" the prices of existing satellite service providers, Sivert said.
Is the service available for phone calls and text messages? What about iMessage? According to T-Mobile and SpaceX, Starlink's direct satellite connection to smartphones will initially apply to SMS and MMS text messages and "participating messaging apps." The announcement didn't mention any participating messaging apps, so it's unclear if Apple's iMessage service will be supported.
As for the network, Musk said that the initial network speed was only 2 to 4Mbps, which could only be used to send text messages and make phone calls.
In addition, Musk responded to questions on Twitter about whether these connections can be used with Tesla's electric vehicles. It is reported that these cars are currently connected to AT&T's LTE network. According to Musk, the answer is yes.