AT&T and Verizon users can try T-Mobile's Starlink satellite service now – here's how

T-Mobile is expanding its Starlink satellite service to mobile phone users on rival carriers. On Sunday, the Uncarrier announced that the current beta testing is now available to AT&T and Verizon customers, who will also be able to subscribe to the service once it officially launches. T-Mobile also used a Super Bowl ad to tout its Starlink coverage to a vast audience.

The beta will run until July

Kicking off free beta testing to iOS and Android users in January, T-Mobile’s Starlink uses a network of low-Earth orbit satellites to grant people high-speed internet access in dead zones where traditional cellular or Wi-Fi access is unavailable. The current lineup of Starlink’s 300 direct-to-cell satellites provides coverage for the 500,000 square miles of land in the US not covered by cell towers.

Also: I turned my Starlink Mini into a near-perfect off-grid internet solution. Here’s how

T-Mobile’s Starlink also broadcasts Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEAs) across the US to anyone with a compatible phone in range of the signal. With WEAs, you can receive critical messages that alert you to dangerous weather conditions or natural disasters.

The beta phase will run until July, giving you a good six months to test the coverage and provide feedback. After the beta ends, you can decide if you want to continue the service.

The cost

For T-Mobile customers, the cost will vary based on your current plan. Starlink will be included for free on the top-tier Go5G Next plan, as well as variations like Go5G Next 55+ for people 55 and older and the Go5G Business Next plan for business users. The service will also be included at no extra cost for Go5G First Responder subscriptions and other premium-rate plans.

T-Mobile users on other plans will pay $15 a month for Starlink. But if you sign up for the beta testing before the end of February, you’ll get an Early Adopter discount, paying just $10 a month. Finally, AT&T and Verizon customers will pay $20 a month for the service.

What can you do with Starlink? 

T-Mobile answered that question with a small footnote in its Super Bowl ad. The public beta testing allows only plain text messaging. Voice calls, video and photo sharing, and mobile data will follow at some point.

In an interview with the Washington Post, Mike Katz, T-Mobile’s president of marketing, strategy, and products, said the carrier expects its Starlink service to handle multimedia texts with photos and videos by the end of the beta phase. Apps that don’t require fast data connections, such as WhatsApp and certain mapping and trail programs, may also be supported.

Also: United’s free in-flight Starlink Wi-Fi is now launching even earlier than we expected

Looking to the future, Katz cited T-Mobile’s vision as one in which Starlink would allow for heavier data use. That could mean FaceTime video calls and even movie streaming. But those capabilities would require additional satellites in orbit.

Using the Starlink service is a seamless process. If you lose cellular coverage, your phone will automatically connect to a Starlink satellite to provide internet access. This ease of use contrasts with Apple’s satellite-based iPhone emergency service, which requires you to manually activate it.

What you need to use the service

To take advantage of the service, you’ll need any iPhone or Android phone from the last four years. T-Mobile specifically lists the following phones on its Starlink web page:

• Apple iPhone 14 and later (including Plus, Pro, and Pro Max)
• Google Pixel 9 (including Pro, Pro Fold, and Pro XL)
• Motorola 2024 and later (including Razr, Razr+, Edge, and G series)
• Samsung Galaxy A14, A15, A16, A35, A53, and A54
• Samsung Galaxy S21 and later (including Plus, Ultra, and Fan Edition)
• Samsung Galaxy XCover 6 Pro
• Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 and later
• Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 and later
• REVVL 7 (including Pro)

iPhone users will also have to update their device to at least iOS 18.3, which Apple released in late January. Android users will want to make sure they’re running version 15.

How to join beta

To sign up for the beta, fill out the form on T-Mobile’s Starlink page. You’ll then have to wait to see if and when you get access. 

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The carrier says that beta testers are being admitted on a rolling, first-come, first-served basis, so you’ll want to sign up ASAP if you hope to join in.