T-Mobile is looking for Starlink satellite-to-cell beta testers

Image: The Verge

T-Mobile is letting customers sign up to be the first to test its upcoming Starlink satellite direct-cell service, which promises to fill in 500,000 square miles of terrestrial cell tower dead zones in the US. The company created a new registration page where people can sign up for free, and testing will begin “early next year.”

The T-Mobile Starlink beta program is open to all post-paid customers with “compatible” satellite phones, although the company hasn’t shared a complete list of which devices will work. To start, registered beta testers will only get to try out satellite texting, with voice calls and data coming later.

The FCC handed T-Mobile and satellite partner SpaceX approval last month to allow satellite-to-service for customers, although not with the higher radio emission power needed for real-time voice and video calls. In August, Verizon and AT&T raised concerns that a fully realized T-Mobile service could interfere with their competing satellite services.

T-Mobile tested direct-to-cell emergency alerts in September, and in October, SpaceX turned on satellite text messaging to T-Mobile customers in areas affected by Hurricane Helene and Milton.