"Above and Beyond"
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With this latest move, T-Mobile aims to totally eliminate mobile dead-zones by integrating mid-band PCS spectrum into Starlink V2 satellites launching as soon as next year. This will allow phones to connect directly to the satellites, wihtout any changes needed to those phones. This will allow MMS text messages, and eventually voice and data anywhere in the world. T-Mobile also announced that they plan to include this service on its standard plans, for no additional or increased cost.
While the speeds and connectivity is far more limited than the full-size terminals and using different frequencies, there will be just two to four megabits of bandwidth per cellular zone. While this is very slow, this partership will can provide life-saving connectivity when it is needed. Of course, to connect to such small antennas on the ground, large and powerful antennas are needed in space. This will come with the second generation satellites, which are set to launch on SpaceX’s Starship rocket, though Musk clarified that there could be an interim satellite that may launch on Falcon 9’s smaller fairing if Starship is delayed more than expected.
This won’t go live for some time, with the earliest connectivity expected in late 2023. While this parnership is between SpaceX and T-Mobile, the companies shared aspirational plans for “reciprical roaming,” where other carriers will share aspects of their spectrum to the satellites, so as many people as possible have service in as many locations as possible.
T-Mobile as said that they are “open to” using Starlink for some of their data backhaul, though they don’t have specific plans at the moment.
While there was speculation about Apple brining satellite connection to iPhones with iPhone 13 and once again with iPhone 14, with these satellite using existing bands, any additional hardware or software won’t be necessary for even already released iPhones and Android devices to have support for this.
These antennas will be supplemental to the Ku, Ka band, and laser links, and will fold out from the body of the satelite to “roughly 25 square meters,” according to Musk.
