T-Mobile made an important announcement today as the first set of Starlink satellites have been launched on board SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket. The event, streamed live last night, holds a significant milestone in this department. Through this, connectivity will be available just about anywhere in the US for T-Mobile’s subscribers, even in dead zones. 

With the satellites now in low-Earth orbit, T-Mobile expects to start field testing the new service using SpaceX’s satellites with Direct to Cell technology. Once the service is available, it will start with text messaging. Voice and data coverage will follow after. 

In addition to the rocket launch, T-Mobile revealed that five of the open invitations it sent out to global providers have been accepted. This includes the following:

• KDDI (Japan)
• Optus (Australia)
• One NZ (New Zealand)
• Rogers (Canada)
• Salt (Switzerland)

They expect more to join in the coming weeks. For those interested in joining the alliance, more information can be found here. 

Source: T-Mobile