SpaceX Starlink direct from satellite to cell phone Internet connection starts beta test in 3 days.
Starlink direct from satellite to cell phone Internet connection starts beta test in 3 days https://t.co/ygAjtTN8SY
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 24, 2025
T-Mobile is offering Starlink texting to cellphones, but it’s currently in a limited beta phase:
T-Mobile opened registration for the Starlink direct-to-cell satellite service beta program on December 16, 2024.
The satellite cellphone texting beta test is starting soon, but the new beta testing is for internet (data) connections via Starlink.
Initially, the service will support texting only, with voice and data planned for the future.
Availability and Eligibility
The texting beta is open to all T-Mobile postpaid voice customers.
It’s free for participants during the beta test.
Currently, only select Samsung models are compatible:
Galaxy Z Flip 6 5G
Galaxy Z Fold 6 5G
Galaxy S24 5G
Galaxy S24 Plus 5G
Galaxy S24 Ultra 5G
Emergency Use
T-Mobile and Starlink have already activated the service in emergency situations:
For areas affected by wildfires in Los Angeles (January 2025)
During Hurricanes Helene and Milton (October 2024)
How It Works
When connected to a Starlink satellite, phones will display “T-Mobile SpaceX” as the network name.
The service works best outdoors and occasionally indoors near windows.
It’s designed to work in areas without traditional cell coverage.
T-Mobile aims to expand this service to eliminate cellular dead zones, potentially covering over 500,000 square miles of the United States that currently lack ground-based cell tower coverage.
Brian Wang is a Futurist Thought Leader and a popular Science blogger with 1 million readers per month. His blog Nextbigfuture.com is ranked #1 Science News Blog. It covers many disruptive technology and trends including Space, Robotics, Artificial Intelligence, Medicine, Anti-aging Biotechnology, and Nanotechnology.
Known for identifying cutting edge technologies, he is currently a Co-Founder of a startup and fundraiser for high potential early-stage companies. He is the Head of Research for Allocations for deep technology investments and an Angel Investor at Space Angels.
A frequent speaker at corporations, he has been a TEDx speaker, a Singularity University speaker and guest at numerous interviews for radio and podcasts. He is open to public speaking and advising engagements.
Just an additional note: My Google Pixel 9 pro and my wife’s Pixel 8 pro have been accepted into the Beta. Great flagship performance at about 1/2 the cost of Apple or Samsung.
I’m not the biggest Googe guy, but their last two generations of phones have been very satisfying. The photo and video software does things that amaze me.
For emergency things it could be great. In remote remote areas you wont need expensive sat phones.
Cell phones services are so cheap I dont think it would be worth it for classical communications.
It will be worth it in areas that can’t be set up with cell towers, or, more importantly, in areas where war or repressive governments, don’t allow unfiltered access to the internet. This includes China, which bans or severely restricts all the major social media outlets and sites, from X to the NY Times and dozens more.
If any ordinary cellphone can get access to the world, China will basically have to forbid sale of any cellphone the world enjoys: Apple, Samsung, Google etc. That’s going to be hard to do in so many large countries & it’ll take so much manpower and vigilance that such an effort alone could be enough to restrict growth and even topple governments.
Information wants to be free.
If (when) China puts pressure on Musk to restrict Starlink signals over China to what the Chinese government approves, would it be technically feasible to do such restrictions over China & not over adjacent parts of the world?