T-Mobile just made a huge breakthrough. They sent a wireless emergency alert (WEA) through Starlink satellites for the first time in the USA. This development comes shortly after Starlink announced that they would soon open their Direct to Cell service to carriers other than T-Mobile.
It marks a shift from their exclusive partnership and expanding globally. The plan is to eliminate “dead zones” by the end of the year, and allow more users in remote areas to have cell coverage by 2025.
T-Mobile and Starlink deliver life-saving emergency alert from space
At 5:13 PM PT on Thursday, September 5th, T-Mobile sent its first emergency test alert from Earth to over 175 satellites that are 217 miles away in space. All satellites were in Low Earth Orbit (LEO), which typically is between 100 to 1,200 miles above the planet’s surface. The signal was delivered back to a T-Mobile smartphone.
Emergency operators were able to prepare and send an alert within a few seconds. The alert was then transmitted through Starlink satellites and sent down to people on the ground, making the whole process nearly instantaneous.
With this testing in consideration, Starlink’s satellite technology could help save many lives. Particularly, in wildfires, earthquakes, and other disasters where regular cell towers might get knocked out.
As T-Mobile referenced, during the 2018 Camp Fire in California, many people in rural areas couldn’t receive emergency alerts because there were no cell towers. Now, even those in similar remote locations would get the alerts, giving them more time to evacuate and saving their lives.
This is one of those days, as the CEO of a wireless company, that makes me pause for a moment and reflect on how technology advancements and the work we’re doing is truly impacting life and death situations.
Mike Sievert, CEO, T-Mobile.
T-Mobile and Starlink to expand satellite coverage for all LTE phones
T-Mobile and Starlink plan to continue testing and add more satellites to provide even better coverage for everyone, no matter where they are or which carrier they use. In the next few months, SpaceX will launch more satellites to expand its network.
These new satellites will increase wireless coverage across the USA first. As the network grows, T-Mobile will begin testing the satellite service with a select group of users for feedback before making it available to everyone commercially.
Related: Starlink Will Bring It’s Satellite Service To Other US Carriers
Shortly after Ben Longmier, SpaceX’s Senior Director, shared the news on X, One user asked whether the satellite service will be available on all phones or if it will be limited to newer phones that have specific satellite communication capabilities.
In response, the Director said that the satellite service doesn’t require special hardware like satellite Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) capabilities. Instead, any phone that supports Long-Term Evolution (LTE) can connect to it.
Overall, it’s a wonderful time to be a smartphone user. Anyone who’s been stuck using pricey satellite phones isn’t cut out of the experience Starlink is introducing. You’ll be able to use your regular LTE phone for emergencies at much cheaper rates.
