GoKawiilEdgar Cervantes / Android Authority
This month, Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile announced a joint effort to provide direct-to-device satellite connectivity and improve backup service during emergencies and natural disasters.
According to Verizon, the effort would pool satellite spectrum resources across all three networks, enabling a more consistent experience when using satellite backup. One name conspicuously absent from the announcement: Starlink. The timing is interesting.
For context, Starlink and T-Mobile’s T-Satellite exclusivity agreement is set to expire this summer. That alone would be notable, but the rumor mill adds more fuel, with reports suggesting Starlink is eyeing its own mobile ambitions. It’s possible the company still has a role in this new carrier-driven plan, but the signs suggest otherwise.
Would you ever consider a Starlink Mobile service and/or hardware? 32 votes Yes, more competition is a good thing. 41 % No, I don't trust Starlink. 41 % No, it just doesn't have the resources to compete in mobile. 9 % I'm not sure / Other 9 %
Starlink might be involved in this joint effort, but the signs suggest otherwise
Aamir Siddiqui / Android Authority
Late last year, Starlink filed trademarks for terms like “Starlink Mobile” and “Powered by Starlink,” following its acquisition of terrestrial spectrum from Boost Mobile and Dish Network’s parent company, EchoStar. Then, in February, Elon Musk hinted the company was working on its own Starlink mobile device. He was clear it wasn’t a phone but didn’t say much else, other than to suggest an AI component was on the table. Reading between the lines, it sounds more like a smart satellite hotspot with advanced features beyond just getting online. That’s purely guesswork on my part, though.
All of this points to Starlink charting its own course, and T-Mobile appears to feel the same way.
All three carriers seem to be planning a future apart from Starlink, or at least less reliant on it.
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