Tag Archives: SpaceX

Satellite Texting Is About to Be a Big Deal

You know that sinking feeling when your phone shows zero bars just when you need it most—whether you’re off-grid, on a remote highway, or just unlucky in your apartment? Satellite messaging services, like T-Mobile’s T-Satellite, are aiming to change that; and it’s not just a backup plan anymore. It’s becoming a serious business. As reported by PhoneArena, industry analysts at Gartner predict that low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellite … [read full article]

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 Unlocks Satellite Text for Older Phones, No Extra Approval Needed

T-Mobile is giving older phones a fresh reason to stick around: soon, they’ll be able to crash the satellite party. That’s right, even devices that weren’t originally certified for satellite use may soon tap into T-Satellite, T-Mobile’s life‑saving “text via space” network powered by Starlink. According to PhoneArena, the FCC has just waived the requirement that forced each phone to individually get a satellite stamp … [read full article]

Tesla Critics Press T‑Mobile to U‑Turn on Starlink Deal

In the latest twist in the ongoing Tesla protest movement, the group behind “Tesla Takedown” has extended its sights beyond electric cars and CEO Elon Musk — this time squarely aiming at Starlink, SpaceX’s satellite internet arm. According to The Verge, Tesla Takedown organizers recently sent a letter to T‑Mobile CEO Mike Sievert. They urged T‑Mobile to sever ties with Starlink, arguing that continuing the partnership would … [read full article]

T-Mobile Gives Customers Code to Experience a “Space Selfie”

Have you ever dreamed of going to outer space? Unless you’ve got billions of dollars to burn, you can likely keep it at that– a dream. A seat on a suborbital trip from Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo or Blue Origin’s New Shepard will cost you between $250,000 to $500,000. And if you’d like to go further than that, you’d have to spend over $50 million per seat. And … [read full article]

T-Mobile Gets Ready for Hurricane Milton

After getting the approval from the FCC to launch its Starlink satellite SMS service, T-Mobile wasted no time in activating its emergency operations and preparedness plans for Hurricane Milton. At the same time, the Un-carrier has mobilized its emergency teams to prepare for this hurricane.  T-Mobile’s network has been hardened to withstand anticipated extreme weather conditions along Milton’s projected path and the company’s experienced emergency response teams are preparing portable … [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]

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]