After six months of beta testing, Starlink's partnership with T-Mobile officially launched on July 23. The direct-to-cell messaging service enables texting from anywhere in the US. It's not limited to T-Mobile customers, either -- AT&T and Verizon mobile customers can purchase it for $10 a month.
T-Mobile says its goal is to "eliminate mobile dead zones for good" by way of 657 Starlink satellites that'll be used exclusively for cellphone service.
The new satellite texting service represents a major step forward in mobile technology: It works with most phones made during the last four years, according to T-Mobile, instead of requiring dedicated hardware. While it's available to all T-Mobile, AT&T and Verizon customers for $10 a month, anyone on T-Mobile's Experience Beyond or Go5G Next plans gets it for free.
"At the end of the day, it's nice to be able to send a selfie when you're in a place where there is no coverage, but it's vital to be able to connect to emergency services," Mike Katz, T-Mobile president of marketing, strategy and products, told CNET's Jeff Carlson. "We just think that with a technology like this, no customer should ever be in a situation where they are unconnected in an emergency."
Sadly, T-Mobile has already had a reason to test out this emergency service, when it enabled T-Satellite earlier this week in communities affected by massive flooding in Central Texas. T-Mobile customers in the area are able to use text-to-911 and basic text messaging, and they can receive emergency alerts on compatible devices.
In the future, T-Satellite will be free for emergency uses across the country. The company said 911 texting will be available later this year to "any mobile customer with a compatible device, regardless of carrier or whether or not they are subscribed to the service."
Watch this: Hands-On with T-Mobile's T-Satellite Service 01:55
What is T-Satellite?
T-Satellite is a partnership between T-Mobile and Starlink that will allow direct-to-cell SMS messaging accessibility in areas where there is no cellular coverage. Starlink has more than 7,000 low-Earth orbit satellites in the sky, and now, 657 of them will be devoted entirely to T-Satellite. The goal is to expand coverage into the 500,000 square miles of the US that traditional cell towers can't reach, says T-Mobile.
"When you leave the terrestrial network and you go to a place where there's no network, your phone will automatically search for and connect to the satellite network, which is quite different than any other of the satellite systems that are out there that force you to manually connect, and you have to point your phone up to the sky," says Katz.
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