T-Mobile's satellite-to-mobile service is now officially available to all customers. T-Satellite with Starlink connects smartphones in areas "far beyond the reach of traditional networks" by linking up with over 650 low-Earth orbit satellites.
T-Mobile has been testing the service for six months. The company says that nearly two million people have already used it to do stuff like texting from remote trails and off-the-grid job sites. It also says that the service proved to be extremely useful during extreme weather events and natural disasters. For instance, over 410,000 people contacted loved ones during the LA fires and nearly 94,000 users did the same in the aftermath of the recent Texas floods.
T-Satellite supports texting on both Android and iOS devices and users can access a number of apps that have been optimized for satellite data transfers. These include Google, AllTrails, AccuWeather, WhatsApp, X and several others. T-Mobile Experience Beyond subscribers can use the service for free, but it costs $10 per month for everyone else. Non-subscribers will be able to contact 911 for free later in the year.
Interestingly, this service is not just for T-Mobile customers. AT&T and Verizon users can also access the platform by ponying up for that monthly subscription.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/t-mobiles-starlink-satellite-service-is-now-available-after-months-of-testing-154211152.html?src=rss
