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Cellphones Space

Free 'T-Mobile Starlink' for Six Months Announced During Super Bowl. Also Available to Verizon and AT&T Customers 199

Today T-Mobile announced what they're calling "the next big thing in wireless" — T-Mobile Starlink. But the real surprise is "The beta is now open for absolutely everyone — yes, even Verizon and AT&T customers — to register for free access until July."

And, as they explained to Americans watching the Super Bowl, "If you can see the sky you're connected." Now in public beta, this breakthrough service, developed in partnership with Starlink, uses straight-out-of-a-sci-fi-movie satellite and mobile communications technology to help keep people connected — even you, Verizon and AT&T customers — in the more than 500,000 square miles of the country unreached by any carrier's earth-bound cell towers. That's nearly the size of two Texases...! The beauty of the service is its simplicity: users don't need to do anything out of the ordinary. When a user's cell phone gets out of range of a cell tower, the phone automatically connects to the T-Mobile Starlink network. No need to manually connect. Messages are sent and received just as they are today on a traditional network, even group texts and reactions. And it works on most smartphones from the last four years. It's not limited to a few smartphones or operating systems...

The beta is free until July at which point T-Mobile Starlink will be included at no extra cost on Go5G Next (including variations like Go5G Next 55+), T-Mobile's best plan. Business customers will also get T-Mobile Starlink at no extra cost on Go5G Business Next, first responder agencies on T-Priority plans and other select premium rate plans. T-Mobile customers on any other plan can add the service for $15/month per line. Through February, T-Mobile customers who have registered for the beta can secure a $10/month per line Early Adopter Discount, 33% off the full price.

AT&T and Verizon customers hate dead zones, too

When your service is amazing and different, you want as many people to try it as possible. T-Mobile is giving AT&T and Verizon customers the opportunity to try out T-Mobile Starlink satellite service on their existing phones... During the beta period, Verizon and AT&T customers can experience T-Mobile Starlink text messaging for free, and once the service launches in July, it will be available for $20/month per line... More details and consumer registration can be found here.

A Vision for Universal Coverage

As T-Mobile and Starlink continue to work towards eliminating mobile deadzones, the companies welcome wireless providers from around the world to join their growing alliance, which aims to provide reciprocal roaming for all participating carriers. So far, KDDI (Japan), Telstra (Australia), Optus (Australia), One NZ (New Zealand), Salt (Switzerland), Entel (Chile & Peru), Rogers (Canada) and Kyivstar (Ukraine) are among the providers that have signed on to join the cause and launch satellite-to-mobile technology. Learn more about the alliance and how providers can join at direct.starlink.com.

Free 'T-Mobile Starlink' for Six Months Announced During Super Bowl. Also Available to Verizon and AT&T Customers

Comments Filter:
  • "T-Mobile customers on any other plan can add the service for $15/month per line" - considering I pay 2€/month for my entire phone subscription, this doesn't look like something I would use.

  • Anyone else feel like the latter part of this article reads like an ad? Just post a link to the T-Mobile site next time; otherwise, use some editorial discretion.

  • Setting aside the politics of it, my understanding is that they have a product ready to go, just awaiting FCC approval.

    Vodafone have already completed test video calls using a regular smartphone in a remote part of Wakes. Verizon and AT&T are on board and will use their services once the FCC gives the green light.

    And unlike Starlink, it would appear that AST Spacemobile was set up with the idea of being the cell tower in space, rather than a general purpose Internet broadband solution with a cell tower

  • Watch for some small church to wipe themselves out

  • The technology is quite interesting.

    It means Skynet can see every phone's location everywhere on Earth regardless of your location settings.

    "No dead zones" and "planetary tracking grid" are different ways to look at the same set of facts.

  • A Galaxy S23 (two years old) is SOL

  • During the Civil War II, the republicans will have a communication system they can trust--the Democrats will not.
  • Frequency range is 1.6 to 2.7 GHz. I'm assuming they're avoiding WiFi, DISH Network terrestrial, and SiriusXM.

  • So how does this work for someone that has a phone on AT&T? Do you have to set up an esim or something? My Pixel 8 has some kind of satellite SOS, so is this just reprogramming settings for something like that on compatible phones?
  • What's the oldest phone that support this?

    Looks like a way to drive new phone sales for a bit, since phones have become a commodity item, with no real new features, most people see no reason to upgrade unless they are already overpaying for a 'free phone included with service plan' that offers a free trade in every year to keep the sales numbers going.
    • as long as your phone supports esim, you can sign up. It's just an LTE connection, so special hardware needed - but Starlinks implementation is basically just texting right now, and the beta test videos I've seen its not great. AST SpaceMobile has demonstrated video calling on theirs, but they won't have service available until next year w/ Verizon and ATT. I'm wondering if they'll actually push some advertising about that now that TMo threw down the gauntlet with this super bowl commercial.

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