T-Mobile answers some D2D questions

T-Mobile on Monday opened registration to a beta test of its direct to device (D2D) service with SpaceX's Starlink, and offered a few insights into how it might pursue the market. For example, the company's beta test is only available to its postpaid customers, and it doesn't expect to launch commercial services until some time later next year.

But T-Mobile declined to outline how much it might charge for the service. "T-Mobile Starlink is free during the beta test. We will provide more details about the commercial service at launch," the company wrote on its registration site.

Regardless, the company clearly sees the offering as a competitive advantage. For example, T-Mobile released a video featuring YouTube influencer Mark Rober using the service to send a text message to his dad.

"T-Mobile Starlink is going to be a game changer," Rober said in the video.

"From concerts in the desert, to sailing on territorial waters, to exploring the remote wilderness like @MarkRober, customers will have service where they need it the most with T-Mobile Starlink," T-Mobile's Mike Katz wrote on social media.

And T-Mobile's networking chief, Ulf Ewaldsson, wrote a lengthy post on social media highlighting the technical advancements of the satellite-based cellular offering.

"Despite the challenges posed by satellites zooming around the earth at 17,500 mph and 217 miles away, our technology allows smartphones to connect seamlessly. This significant breakthrough allows us to deliver cutting-edge satellite communication services more efficiently and effectively than ever before," Ewaldsson wrote.

The details

T-Mobile said its beta service is open to all of its customers who subscribe to its postpaid service plans. It also has a separate sign-up site for its business customers.

"Capacity is limited," the operator wrote on its registration site. "Customers are encouraged to register now."

The company said its beta test would launch sometime early next year, and that a wider commercial launch would happen "sometime in 2025."

The service will initially only support text messaging but T-Mobile said voice and data support is "coming in the future." Starlink, on its own website, suggested it will offer data and IoT services sometime in 2025 and voice services "soon."

That's a slightly different launch timeline from what Starlink supplied earlier this year, when it promised voice, data and IoT services by 2025.

"During the beta test, performance may vary depending on several factors like location and number of people using the service simultaneously. Our partner SpaceX is launching satellites at a historic pace, and each new launch will make the service better," T-Mobile said.

T-Mobile also warned that 911 texting services may not be available in certain circumstances, and that they may not be directly comparable to traditional text-to-911 services. "All satellite messages, including 911 messages, are subject to delivery delays," the company added.

Although T-Mobile hopes to offer the service across most of its phones, the company said it would only offer the service to "optimized phones" initially. It did not specify what those phones would be.

Finally, T-Mobile hinted at a possible international roaming service with other Starlink partners at some point in the future. "Over time, we plan to work with global roaming partners and SpaceX to provide reciprocal satellite service in other countries and global waters," T-Mobile wrote.

Other terrestrial wireless network operators partnering with Starlink for satellite services include Rogers in Canada, Optus in Australia, One New Zealand, KDDI in Japan, Salt in Switzerland, and Entel in Chile and Peru.

The wider market

It's no surprise that T-Mobile hopes to use its Starlink partnership – first inked in 2022 – as a competitive lever. Both AT&T and Verizon must wait for AST SpaceMobile – their D2D satellite partner – to launch dozens of additional satellites before they can begin similar efforts. Verizon also has a separate deal with Skylo for some Android phones that will go into effect more quickly.

But all of those companies are years behind Apple, which first launched commercial D2D services in 2022. At that time, Apple said its satellite-based emergency messaging service would be free for the first two years. However, Apple then extended that free period into 2025. 

And this year, with its new iOS 18 software platform, Apple shifted its emergency satellite messaging services to just regular messaging services. Moreover, Apple's newest cash injection into its satellite partner, Globalstar, could portend a further investment by the iPhone maker into satellite-based services.

Other phone makers are making similar moves. For example, Google's new Pixel devices also have emergency satellite messaging services running through vendor Skylo. Google's service is also free for a limited time, and Google has not outlined what it might charge for the service.

Thus, the offerings from T-Mobile, AT&T and Verizon would presumably sit next to – or behind – messaging services from phone vendors like Apple and Google. 

It's also not clear what kinds of revenues D2D services might ultimately generate.

Article updated December 17 to include information about Verizon and Skylo.