T-Mobile is looking for Starlink satellite-to-cell beta testers

T-Mobile is lets customers sign up to be the first to test its upcoming Starlink satellite-direct-to-cell service, which promises to fill in 500,000 square miles of terrestrial cell-tower dead zones in the United States. The company created a new registration page where people can sign up for free and testing will begin “early next year.”

The T-Mobile Starlink beta program is open to all postpaid customers with “compatible” satellite phones, though the company hasn’t shared a full list of which devices will work. To start with, registered beta testers will only be able to try satellite text, with voice calls and data coming later.

The FCC granted T-Mobile and satellite partner SpaceX approval last month to allow satellite-to-service for customers, though not with the higher radio emission power required for real-time voice and video calls. In August, Verizon and AT&T raised concerns that a fully realized T-Mobile service could disrupt their competing satellite services.