Mobile operator T-Mobile has announced that their Starlink satellite feature has now been added to the public beta. Approved beta testers in the US will be given free access to the network until July.
In the US, anyone with an iPhone 14 and later or Android can sign up and test their off-network connection.
T-Mobile customers with the most expensive Go5G Next plan or another eligible plan will be able to use the services at no additional cost. Others will have to pay $15 per month for text messages, and those who do not use T-Mobile will pay — $20 per month.
T-Mobile is offering a $10 per month discount starting in July for signing up for the beta program by the end of February.
Your iPhone or Android will automatically connect to one of Starlink’s satellites when there is no cellular coverage to use iMessages and SMS. On the iPhone, the satellite connection will be indicated by the «SAT» icon.
T-Mobile promises that voice calls over Starlink will be available at a later date. У Bloomberg wrote that the company also plans to add graphical notifications and other data services.
Earlier, Apple did not make any announcements added support for Starlink satellite communication in iOS 18.3 and T-Mobile. A small number of iPhones have been turned on as part of the beta testing of this satellite connection.
Apple customers have previously had access to free satellite connectivity on iPhone 14 and later models in collaboration with Globalstar. But without the automatic connection — they had to manually point their iPhone at the sky.
Source: MacRumors