Minimize to nav T-Mobile today said it opened registration for the "T-Mobile Starlink" beta service that will enable text messaging via satellites in dead zones not covered by cell towers. T-Mobile's announcement said the service using Starlink's low-Earth orbit satellites will "provid[e] coverage for the 500,000 square miles of land in the United States not covered by earth-bound cell towers." Starlink parent SpaceX has so far launched over 300 satellites with direct-to-cell capabilities, T-Mobile noted. A registration page says, "We expect the beta to begin in early 2025, starting with texting and expanding to data and voice over time. The beta is open to all T-Mobile postpaid customers for free, but capacity is limited." T-Mobile said the beta "is expected to work with most modern mobile phones" but will work best with "select smartphones." People with those "select" devices will apparently have a better chance of getting into the beta. "T-Mobile postpaid customers with optimized devices will be admitted on a 'first come, first served' basis," T-Mobile said. "We'll expand the beta to more customers and more devices as more satellites launch." Businesses and first responders can also register. "Because of the critical role these first responder agencies and individuals play in safeguarding our communities, T-Mobile is prioritizing this audience for the beta program," the carrier said. Commercial service sometime in 2025 T-Mobile said the commercial service will launch "sometime in 2025" but did not say how much it will cost. "While not yet ready for full commercial service, T-Mobile Starlink was turned on temporarily to provide a critical communication option for those without any other means to reach emergency responders and loved ones during Hurricanes Helene and Milton," the carrier said. "Even without the full constellation in place, customers with capable devices were able to receive critical emergency alerts and send and receive messages when satellites were overhead." T-Mobile said the Starlink-enabled service will be "much more user friendly" than previous satellite phone services. The carrier said "users will not need to hold their phone up to search for a signal. Both inbound and outbound messages are sent and received just like any other message." T-Mobile also said there are parts of the US where it will likely never offer coverage from cell towers. T-Mobile Starlink will "mak[e] the phone in your pocket work in areas of the US that have never, and probably never will, have ground based coverage," said T-Mobile President of Marketing, Strategy and Products Mike Katz. SpaceX and T-Mobile announced their plan for satellite-to-phone coverage in August 2022. Starlink launched its first cellular-capable satellites in January 2024 and obtained Federal Communications Commission approval to provide service to cell phones in November 2024. SpaceX has a spectrum lease agreement with T-Mobile that covers the continental US, Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico. SpaceX is still seeking a waiver of rules on out-of-band emission limits, saying the waiver is needed to provide reliable real-time communications with voice and video. AT&T and Verizon urged the FCC to reject that request, and the FCC last month deferred its decision. AT&T and Verizon both intend to offer similar service through deals with satellite operator AST SpaceMobile.