Published reports say that the Starlink-T-Mobile service that enables connectivity outside of tower range has entered the free beta stage — and is available for some iPhones.
ZDNet reports that T-Mobile subscribers shared on social media that they were using the service in the beta program.
PCMag posted a story earlier in the month that said the Starlink-T-Mobile offering will cover five phones: The Galaxy Z Flip 6 5G, Galaxy Z Fold 6 5G, Galaxy S24 5G, Galaxy S24 Plus 5G, and the Galaxy S24 Ultra 5G.
The initiative has taken on more of a competitive edge. PCMag said this week that the program is expanding to iPhones using the iOS 18.3 operating system. That news was confirmed in a story in USA Today and elsewhere.
Registration for the T-Mobile program began in mid December. At the time, the carrier said the T-Mobile Starlink service would provide coverage of the 500,000 square miles of the United States outside the range of cell towers.
Starlink has more than 300 direct-to-cell-capability satellites in orbit. Earlier versions of the T-Mobile Starlink system were turned on during hurricanes Helene and Milton. First responders are being prioritized during the beta.
Starlink, which is a wholly owned subsidiary of Elon Musk’s SpaceX, appears to have ambitious plans. In November Starlink partnered with MetTel on an SD-WAN offering. The month before, it began offering connectivity to some Beechcraft and Cessna planes.
In addition to the Starlink partnership, T-Mobile has been having a good month. In Ookla’s recent Speedtest Connectivity Report for July through December 2024, T-Mobile achieved the distinction of Fastest Mobile Network and got the highest score for median download speed. T-Mobile also won all five experience awards in Opensignal’s report posted earlier this month.
