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T-Mobile and Starlink to Launch Satellite Connectivity for $15 a Month

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T-Mobile has announced that it will launch its satellite-to-cell service, powered by SpaceX’s Starlink, in July at a cost of $15 per month. The initiative aims to eliminate mobile dead zones and provide connectivity to remote areas, marking a significant advancement in mobile technology. T-Mobile’s shares rose by approximately 4% in premarket trading on Monday following the announcement.

The satellite service will address coverage gaps in regions of the U.S. that are inaccessible by traditional cell towers, with T-Mobile stating that 500,000 square miles of such areas will now have connectivity. A beta trial for the service began on Sunday, with T-Mobile offering the service free to customers until the official launch. After that, the service will be included at no additional cost for customers on the premium Go5G Next plan. Other plan customers will receive a 33% discount when the service officially launches.

In a groundbreaking move, T-Mobile will make the Starlink service available to customers of all U.S. wireless providers, including AT&T and Verizon, without requiring them to switch. The initial beta version of the service will provide text messaging via satellite, with voice and data features planned for later.

Mike Katz, T-Mobile’s president of marketing, strategy, and products, emphasized that the service is unique in the U.S. and will work across most smartphones from the last four years, thanks to partnerships with Apple and Google for seamless integration with their operating systems. This satellite service is expected to revolutionize connectivity for users in hard-to-reach areas.

AT&T to Offer Bill Credits for Outages to Enhance Customer Satisfaction

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AT&T announced a new initiative on Wednesday to offer bill credits for network outages as part of its efforts to improve customer satisfaction and restore trust in the company. This comes after the telecom industry experienced significant disruptions in 2024, including a nationwide wireless service outage in February, which lasted over 12 hours and affected millions of calls, including blocking 911 emergency services.

In response to the February outage, AT&T provided affected customers with a full day of service credit. The latest initiative, called the “AT&T Guarantee,” will automatically offer bill credits to customers who experience network interruptions. Fiber users who face outages of 20 minutes or more, and wireless customers who encounter disruptions lasting 60 minutes or longer, will receive a credit equivalent to one full day of service.

This move is part of AT&T’s ongoing efforts to rebuild customer trust after a period of losing market share. Jenifer Robertson, executive vice president of AT&T Mass Markets & Mobility, emphasized that the company had been focused on regaining trust through improvements in pricing, products, and promotional offers.

The “AT&T Guarantee” initiative, which will launch Thursday, reflects the company’s commitment to offering reliable connectivity. AT&T has topped customer satisfaction rankings for business wireless service among large enterprises for three consecutive years, according to J.D. Power.

AT&T has invested more than $140 billion in its network and nearly a billion dollars in customer care and operations since 2019, aiming to further improve its service and customer experience.