T-Mobile to eliminate mobile dead zones: trial free until July

T-Mobile said on Sunday it has started wide-scale testing of its satellite-to-cell service, powered by SpaceX's Starlink, as the US wireless carrier aims to eliminate mobile dead zones and extend connectivity to remote areas.

The beta trial will be free till July, after which the plan will be included in T-Mobile's premium Go5G Next plan at no extra cost. The service can be added to all other plans for $15 a month after its commercial launch this summer.

The move could mark a pivotal shift in mobile connectivity, bridging the gap between traditional cell networks and satellite technology to ensure seamless coverage anywhere on Earth.

T-Mobile said 500,000 square miles of the US, which is unreachable by terrestrial cell towers, can now stay connected.

The beta launch will offer text service via satellite, while voice and data features will be added later, the company announced during the Super Bowl game on Sunday.

Customers who sign up for the trial will get a 33% discount when the service is commercially launched, the wireless carrier said.

The service could bolster the company's competitive edge, as its investments to expand coverage, including in smaller markets and rural areas, have driven industry-leading net phone additions in the fourth quarter.

"This is something that nobody else in the US has done, and one of the big distinctive things this network has is that it works across almost all smartphones from the last four years," Mike Katz, president of marketing, strategy and products, told Reuters.

T-Mobile has been working closely with Apple and Google to "ensure that this experience is integrated directly into their OS (operating system), and this will be the default satellite system across both of those phones," Katz said.

The carrier is offering the T-Mobile Starlink service directly to all wireless users, including customers of rival telecom firms AT&T and Verizon without having to switch.

News that T-Mobile and Space X are launching Starlink services in beta prompted an online discussion, with users expressing mixed feelings about the matter.

“I'm kinda excited for this. Not only do I go off-grid camping, but I also work in several areas where I get no service. I'm there often enough that $15 is a no-brainer. The funny thing is I saw a satellite icon a couple of days ago,” wrote one user online.

However, not everyone was excited about the new service. As another Redditor online stated, “$15 monthly fee for a feature you’ll rarely use is pretty BS.”

One of the service's main intentions is to ensure that users have a connection even in the most remote areas.

“[...] it seems many of you are not realizing the purpose of this. this is meant for those who are traveling frequently in rural areas (hikers, RV Owners, etc). for an average user, you're not going to need this nor even care about it tbh,” explained one Redditor online.

Other people also expressed skepticism about the service, saying that it still needs to be tested to determine its stability: “If I were someone using Iridium service (or similar) for life safety applications I wouldn't be in a hurry to move to something new and untested.”

Among the users online there were some who already had a chance to try the service.

“I was in the closed beta for the last four months, and it sucks. I live in Oregon and wasn't able to send texts just 30 minutes outside of Portland. It could be that Starlink is just too low on the horizon. But I never was able to get any service in areas I usually have no service,” shared one user.