T-Mobile has been gearing up for a while to launch brand-new T-Satellite service that, in theory, should eliminate dead zones and make them a thing of the past. The service is made in collaboration with SpaceX’s Starlink, and is currently in use for free to most T-Mobile customers until the full launch in July.
It’s almost ready for a full (paid) rollout, but as competition has flared up, the magenta carrier has decided to lower the price a bit in order to stay competitive.
T-Mobile has confirmed that their cellular Starlink satellite service, launching in July, will start at a $10 per month price point. This is “launch pricing,” which means that the service will cost $10 for just a limited time before potentially going up in price.
As per Mike Sievert, CEO of T-Mobile, this price is good for at least a year. We’re not sure how much it might go up after this, though, but it could revert to the old price structure.
Previously, T-Mobile was planning to give the service for free to customers on its highest-tier plans, while other T-Mobile users would pay $15 monthly. Customers not on T-Mobile would pay $20—in case you missed the Super Bowl, you can get yourself T-Mobile satellite service even if you’re an AT&T or Verizon customer by downloading an eSIM for satellite service.
Interestingly, the $10 price is good for both T-Mobile customers and customers with other carriers, so you can pay T-Mobile $10 for satellite access and stick with your current carrier. Customers on the most premium plans at T-Mobile, Go5G Next and the new Experience Beyond, will get the service for free. Experience More plans get it for free until the end of 2025.
One thing of note is that some customers on T-Mobile were offered a limited-time discount for signing up during the free trial. Those customers would have paid $10 after a $5/mo discount, but now that everyone is paying $10 per month, there’s no additional discount it seems.
The move to a lower, unified price point comes as competitors AT&T and Verizon are developing their own satellite connectivity solutions with partners like AST SpaceMobile. T-Mobile’s implementation, in partnership with Starlink, currently allows for text messaging, though things like phone calls and even data are planned down the road, probably as soon as the service can be made more reliable.
