(Photo by Nikolas Kokovlis/NurPhoto via Getty Images) SpaceX’s cellular Starlink tech for phones may not launch this fall as originally planned, according to new comments from the company’s partner T-Mobile. In an interview with CNBC, T-Mobile CEO Mike Sievert briefly talked about his company’s plans to bring satellite connectivity to phones through the Starlink partnership. “We think we’re on track for a beta program of the direct-satellite-to-cellular program that we announced a while back—it could start late this year or early into next year,” he said. The comment arrives months after SpaceX told the US Federal Communications Commission in May that it wanted to launch its cellular Starlink service in the US “this fall.” SpaceX’s official website for the “direct to cell” capability also says it will offer satellite-based text messaging sometime this year before rolling out voice and data connectivity in 2025. Sievert didn’t say why there might be a delay, but the mention of the beta program suggests that T-Mobile will launch Starlink connectivity at a small scale before a wider rollout. SpaceX previously indicated it needs to launch about 300 cellular Starlink satellites in Earth’s orbit before it can begin offering the service to US customers. On Friday, the company launched another batch of satellites, bringing the total number to just over 200.