Tag Archives: Satellite Connectivity

Samsung & Motorola Users Can Now Send Images via T‑Mobile’s Satellite Service

T‑Mobile has quietly upgraded its satellite messaging service to support picture, audio and short video messages from compatible Samsung and Motorola devices—no more plain‑text only.  As reported by PhoneArena, supported phones on T‑Mobile’s network can now send and receive multimedia messages (MMS) even in areas without cell coverage. This new capability, powered by T‑Mobile’s Starlink‑backed T‑Satellite service, was [read full article]

Starlink Glitch Hits Just Hours After T‑Mobile Service Launch

T‑Mobile rolled out its new satellite-based messaging service powered by SpaceX’s Starlink this week. But hardly was the celebration over when Starlink went offline for about 2½ hours—just hours after the launch . According to PhoneArena, Starlink acknowledged that the disruption stemmed from a failure in key internal software systems controlling the network. The outage affected tens of … [read full article]

T-Mobile’s T‑Satellite Goes Live: Satellite Texting Now Nationwide

T-Mobile has flipped the switch on its satellite messaging service, now officially known as “T‑Satellite,” powered by SpaceX’s Starlink network.  The service (once limited to a closed beta) is now available to all U.S. users, including those in Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and parts of southern Alaska. Customers can send and receive text messages, including emergency texts to 911 and share their location without any change to their phones … [read full article]

T-Mobile’s T-Satellite Beta Testers Get Free Service and Exclusive Perks

T-Mobile is rolling out the red carpet for participants in its upcoming T-Satellite beta program, offering a suite of benefits that go beyond just testing new technology.​ Participants accepted into the T-Satellite beta will receive 90 days of free satellite service. This allows users to send and receive text messages even in areas without traditional cell coverage, thanks to satellites orbiting the Earth.  The service also supports texting to 911 and location sharing via text, with plans … [read full article]

FCC Temporarily Approves Starlink Satellites in Areas Affected by Hurricane Helene

In response to the havoc brought by Hurricane Helene, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has temporarily approved SpaceX and T-Mobile’s direct-to-cell service. This is their chance to showcase Starlink satellites by starting with the areas affected by the hurricane.  In response to the announcement, SpaceX said:  “The satellites have already been enabled and started broadcasting emergency alerts to cell phones on all networks in North Carolina. In addition, we may test basic texting (SMS) capabilities for most … [read full article]

T-Mobile Successfully Sends WEA via Starlink’s Satellite

With the way technology is advancing in the US, dead zones will soon be a thing of the past– at least for T-Mobile.  Earlier today, T-Mobile announced that it had successfully sent and received a wireless emergency alert (WEA) via Starlink satellites equipped with satellite-to-smartphone capabilities. This is an important achievement since this is the first time in US history that a wireless emergency alert was sent via satellite.  A test alert for a hypothetical evacuation notice … [read full article]

Musk: T-Mobile-Starlink Exclusivity Deal Would Only Last a Year

In this day and age, it’s still a surprise to know that there are areas with a cellular dead zone. But thankfully, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and wireless carriers in the country are working hard to make satellite communication available. The only problem is that it still hasn’t been fully approved for launch. For one, T-Mobile’s deal with Space X’s Starlink service is still being studied. The Direct to Cell satellite service deal, signed in 2022, … [read full article]

Musk: Starlink Will Send Emergency Alerts to Anyone, Anywhere in the World

With the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) Aug. 29 deadline to make a decision on T-Mobile and SpaceX’s request to reconsider its out-of-band power flux-density limit, Elon Musk makes a new promise in the hopes of swaying the decision.  As shared on X, Musk said:  “After thinking it through, SpaceX Starlink will provide emergency services access for mobile phones for people in distress for free. … [read full article]

Report: FCC Reportedly Declines SpaceX-T-Mobile Request for Power Flux-Density Limit Increase

A previous report alleged that the FCC had made a final decision to not relax the density limit waiver to SpaceX. But as it turns out, a decision is expected to made after August 29th. The original article is below. After trying to convince the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to reconsider its out-of-band power flux-density limit of -120 dBW/m2/MHz, the agency will have until August … [read full article]