T-Mobile users can start trying out SpaceX's satellite service next week

It’s been almost three years since SpaceX and T-Mobile announced a partnership that would bring satellite coverage to regular phones via the Starlink fleet. Now we’re about to get a taste of the fruits of their labor as SpaceX will soon start beta testing its Direct-to-Cell (DTC) service.

SpaceX, a company owned by Elon Musk, is currently preparing to start beta testing DTC, a service that promises to keep consumers connected wherever they are, even in dead zones. According to Musk on X (formerly Twitter), the test is set to begin in three days, which would be January 27, 2025.

The beta test is expected to run from January 27, 2025, to July 26, 2025, as reported by NASA Space Flight. This beta test won’t just be for T-Mobile customers in the US; it will be a global launch that includes SpaceX’s cellular partners from around the world. If everything goes according to plan and the service is able to achieve the data rates and reliability expected, the service can expand past the beta phase.

T-Mobile subscribers who signed up to try the beta started receiving invite links to set up the service as early as late December. The free beta will set users up with coverage when they enter hard-to-reach places like rural areas, airplanes, and more. DTC will initially only support text messaging, but there are plans to expand to data and voice at a later date.

When we tested Starlink’s satellite internet on a cruise ship last year, it left a little to be desired in the reliability department. It will be interesting to see if and by how much the company fixed its reliability problems with DTC.