- T-Mobile expanded its T-Satellite service with apps like WhatsApp, Google Maps, AllTrails and more
- The initial response to T-Satellite has been fantastic, according to T-Mobile – but it hasn’t shared exact numbers
- T-Mobile’s rivals aren’t standing still; analysts expect satellite connectivity will become standard in cell phone plans
T-Mobile on Wednesday launched a new "light data" offer that powers a bunch of apps geared toward people using its T-Satellite service.
T-Satellite customers can now use their phones to access AllTrails, AccuWeather, Google Maps, T-Life, X and more when they’re in the middle of nowhere, provided there’s a direct connection to the sky. T-Mobile teased the apps during an event in Bellevue, Washington, in June, when it declared its network officially “the best” in America based on Ookla tests.
But even the so-called “best” network doesn’t reach everywhere, and that’s the point of the T-Satellite service. The phone basically has to fall off the terrestrial network in order to connect to the satellite, similar to how it works with roaming. More than 650 Starlink satellites currently support T-Mobile’s satellite coverage.
It’s not known exactly how many people are using it, but T-Mobile executives claim the response to their T-Satellite service has been fantastic. After months of beta tests, the service launched with texting in July and has expanded from there.
“The response from the first two months of T-Satellite commercial service has blown us away,” T-Mobile Marketing, Innovation and Experience President Mike Katz said in a statement. “We’ve heard story after story how T-Satellite is helping people in life-saving situations, including a Girl Scout who fell into a canyon deep in the California wilderness and was rescued just hours later. Now we’re taking it up a notch and bringing essential phone apps and services into the mix.”
Among the apps now available is WhatsApp, which is a big deal for consumers like Techsponential President Avi Greengart, who said his family uses the app on a regular basis. T-Satellite now allows users to send voice notes, share photos and conduct group calls via WhatsApp.
His family isn’t off grid enough for it to be relevant day-to-day, but when they are out of cell coverage, “WhatsApp is what we miss from a communications perspective,” Greengart said. “WhatsApp voice and messaging over satellite is a significant expansion of capability that rivals can't match yet.”
That said, T-Mobile’s rivals aren’t standing still. Both Verizon and AT&T are working with AST SpaceMobile to offer more robust satellite offerings than what’s available for iPhone users via Apple. Verizon also offers a satellite messaging option today via Skylo.
Satellite as table stakes
The way things are headed, consumers are going to expect a satellite option when shopping for cell phone plans, said Daryl Schoolar, analyst at Recon Analytics.
“I believe non-terrestrial connectivity to a terrestrial network is going to become basic table stakes in terms of the service offering,” similar to how international roaming is today, he said.
For folks who do a lot of hiking and mountain biking, the new apps have real utility. It’s helpful to know, for example, how far the trailhead is from your current location if you’re running low on water and need to gauge your level of emergency, he said.
The jury’s still out on how many consumers are willing to pay more for satellite service and how often they need it. T-Satellite is included in some higher-end plans for T-Mobile customers and costs $10 a month for customers on older lower-end plans. Verizon and AT&T customers can get it for $10/month as well. T-Mobile says it can be canceled at any time through the T-Life app.
“I don’t see many people buying it as a month-to-month service,” Schoolar said. “If it’s not bundled with your plan, it’s on an as-needed basis. If you’re going off hiking to some remote area of Arizona – for $10, I would pay for it. I may only need it for one day that whole month, but that $10 is one hundred percent worth it for that one day. But when I’m done, I would cancel it. I think that’s how people are going to use it.”