T-Mobile has been offering SpaceX’s satellite-to-phone service, Starlink Mobile, since last year. But usage hasn’t been as high as the carrier originally expected, according to T-Mobile’s CEO.
On an earnings call Tuesday, Srini Gopalan talked about the service, which T-Mobile has called T-Satellite. “Our partnership with SpaceX is very strong, we worked closely with them to really invent an entire category. That has put an end to dead zones. We are pleased with that.” Gopalan initially said. (Your comments can be found in the 36th minute.)
Still, T-Mobile’s CEO suggested that the company’s terrestrial cellular network, which can still offer broad coverage, has been meeting customer needs. In contrast, T-Satellite is only activated for users in select rural and remote areas, outside the operator’s traditional coverage zones.
“Most of the (T-Satellite) usage we’re seeing is in national parks. And if anything, thanks to the great network that Dr. Saw (T-Mobile’s chief technology officer) has built, we’re seeing a lot less usage than we originally thought. But it’s a great complementary product,” he added.
Coverage areas for T-Mobile and T-Satellite. (T-Mobile)
T-Satelite generated some excitement last year, attracting around 1.8 million registrations, except for the free beta version. Since then, T-Mobile has not revealed the exact subscriber count when T-Satellite is only free for the most premium plans; all other users must pay $10 per month for the service.
(PCMag/Michael Kan)
However, Speedtest.netOokla’s parent company released data last week that found The number of American and Canadian users accessing satellite-to-phone services like T-Satellite has seen a drop in recent months. It’s possible that winter weather and T-Satellite’s move from a free beta to a largely paid service were the determining factors. Ookla’s data also looked at Android usage when most US users use iPhones, which already offer free satellite messaging in dead zones through Apple’s partner Globalstar.
If consumers pay for satellite-to-phone services, and to what extent, remains an ongoing debate. Technology is also set to improve; SpaceX is aiming for 5G download speeds and 150 Mbps per user via next-generation satellite upgrades when current speeds are intimately at 4 Mbps.
Despite the lower-than-expected usage, the T-Mobile CEO also sees T-Satellite as an important competitive offering that will help it stand out from its rivals. Both AT&T and Verizon have been betting on the rival satellite provider AST Mobile Space. Verizon also offers emergency satellite messaging through partners Skylo. But for now, T-Satellite has been offering access not only to satellite messaging, but also data for select mobile applications, including video call.
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Gopalan added: “And if we look into the future, we see a lot of other space providers coming out, and we think the way this is going to evolve, as a complementary product, it’s going to become more and more of a standard feature of a whole set of offerings. In a sense, less differentiated, and we’re fine with that on the Un-carrier (T-Mobile), because this is our story. We go out, we innovate, we create a breakthrough, we solve a customer problem, and then everyone else follows us, and as long as they follow us, we’re in our next big breakthrough.”
Still, the T-Mobile CEO does not plan to create a virtual mobile network operator or OMV partnership with SpaceX/Starlink in terms of cellular connectivity. In the results call, Gopalan reiterated T-Mobile uses MVNOs if it can help it expand the company’s overall addressable market, for example by targeting a new customer base or sales channel.
“It’s not obvious to me how an MVNO with SpaceX, or any other LEO (low Earth satellite) operator meets those conditions,” he said. But on Tuesday, T-Mobile did it. announce a partnership with SpaceX to use home broadband-focused Starlink to help deliver high-speed internet to businesses in remote areas.
About our expert
Michael Kan
Senior Reporter
Experience
I have been a journalist for more than 15 years. I started as a schools and cities reporter in Kansas City and joined PCMag in 2017, where I cover satellite internet services, cybersecurity, PC hardware, and more. I currently reside in San Francisco, but previously spent more than five years in China, covering the country’s technology sector.
Since 2020, I have covered the launch and explosive growth of SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet service, writing more than 600 stories on availability and feature launches, but also the regulatory battles over expanding satellite constellations, fights with rival providers like AST SpaceMobile and Amazon, and the effort to expand into satellite-based mobile service. I scoured the FCC files for the latest news and drove to remote corners of California to test Starlink cellular service.
I also cover cyber threats, from ransomware gangs to the emergence of AI-based malware. In 2024 and 2025, the FTC forced Avast pay consumers $16.5 million for secretly collecting and selling their personal information to third-party clients, as revealed in my joint report investigation with motherboard.
I also cover the PC graphics card market. Pandemic-era shortages took me camping vs. Best Buy to get an RTX 3000. Now I’m tracking how the AI-driven memory shortage is affecting the entire consumer electronics market. I’m always eager to learn more, so hit the comments with your feedback and send me tips.
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