SpaceX and T-Mobile intend to expand coverage by connecting phones to satellites

T-Mobile US (NASDAQ:TMUS) Inc will use Elon Musk's SpaceX's Starlink satellites to provide network access to mobile users in certain areas of the United States, the companies revealed Thursday, revealing plans to connect mobile phones directly to satellites in orbit.

The new plans, which would exist alongside T-current mobile's cellular services, would eliminate the need for cell towers and offer service for sending texts and images where cell coverage does not currently exist, which is crucial for emergency situations in remote areas, Musk said at a flashy event at his company's rocket facility in south Texas on Thursday.

T-mid-band Starlink's satellites will leverage Mobile's airwaves to establish a new network. By the end of the year, the bulk of the company's customers' phones will be compatible with the new service, which will debut beta messaging services.

Since 2019, SpaceX has launched over 3,000 low-Earth-orbiting Starlink satellites, beating rivals OneWeb and Amazon.com Inc's Project Kuiper.

Musk added that SpaceX's next-generation Starlink satellites, the first of which is expected to launch on SpaceX's next-generation Starship rocket once it is completed, will be equipped with larger antennae that will provide direct access to T-mobile mobile phones.

"We're constructing specialized antennas... They are quite advanced and have really huge antennas "He declared. "Importantly, you will not be required to buy a new phone. The phone you possess today is functioning."

In the meantime, U.S. telecom carriers are rushing to construct the mid-band portion of their 5G networks in order to catch up to T-Mobile, which acquired a significant 2.5 GHz of mid-band spectrum through its acquisition of Sprint.

Mid-band or C-Band has shown to be excellent for 5G due to its optimal mix of capacity and coverage.

Following the pilot phase of messaging services, the company indicated its intention to seek phone and data coverage.

Satellite communications business AST SpaceMobile Inc is also building a global cellular broadband network in space that will operate with mobile devices without the need for additional equipment.