T-mobile to launch Starlink-powered satellite data network this fall
T-Mobile says its Starlink-powered “T-Satellite” service, which essentially eliminates data dead zones in remote areas of the US, will officially launch this coming October.
Image by nikkimeel | T. Schneider | Shutterstock
T-Mobile says its Starlink-powered “T-Satellite” service, which essentially eliminates data dead zones in remote areas of the US, will officially launch this coming October.
President of T-Mobile Marketing, Strategy, and Products Mike Katz made the announcement on Monday during a live event in Bellevue, Washington.
The satellite to mobile technology – “acting like cellphone towers in space – can connect you almost anywhere you can see the sky,” the telecommunications company boasts on its website.
“Coverage even in dead zones thanks to T-Satellite," Katz posted on X, capping off the event.
✔️Officially the Best Network in America (thanks, Ookla)
undefined Mike Katz (@Mike_Katz) June 23, 2025
✔️Coverage even in dead zones thanks to T-Satellite
✔️ Free DashPass by @DoorDash included w/ Magenta Status
No more tradeoffs. Customers get the best network & the best value – only with @TMobile➡️ https://t.co/Oumd43Dq9M pic.twitter.com/OPbcOiFfaW
T-satellite has been operating in beta for about 1.8 million customers who signed up to test a text-only version of the product starting last year, until it officially launches on July 23rd.
Katz told Reuters that the satellite beta adoption has been fairly balanced between the top 100 markets and small-town rural areas across the US.
Folks can still sign up for the beta version, which is free and available to anyone on any carrier, until the launch date.
T-Mobile says after the launch, T-Satellite will be included with the carrier’s Experience Beyond plan, and for a limited time, for $10 per/month for everyone else, “including Verizon and AT&T customers.”
At first, the T-Satellite network will only cover SMS texting, MMS, picture messaging, and short audio clips. On October 1st, the service will expand with full data service to include the use of mobile apps.
The satellite-to-cell network is supported by over 657 Starlink craft extending connectivity to more than 500,000 square miles in the US that traditional cell towers can't reach, including those of Verizon and AT&T, the company said, adding that in areas without cellular service, the user's phone will automatically connect to the T-Satellite service.
T-Mobile said it plans to collaborate with SpaceX and its global roaming partners to expand the satellite to mobile coverage in the future for customers traveling abroad, and even covering international waters.
T-Mobile said it anticipates apps such as AccuWeather, AllTrails, Apple, Google, WhatsApp, X, and many others will also become satellite-enabled, allowing customers to further utilize the world’s first-of-its-kind service.