T-Mobile has already committed to “end mobile deadlock” in 2022, thanks to a deal with SpaceX that will see it use Starlink satellites to enable communications across the country. In September this year, the airline successfully forwarded a satellite-based emergency alert to assess the service.

Now T-Mobile seems ready for real testing.

The company today announced the start of beta registration for its T-Mobile Starlink direct-to-cell satellite service. Notably, the sign-up process is open to all subscribers, including first responders and business customers, and is also free for postpaid customers.

Of course, emergency responders and affiliated institutions have priority. According to the press release, testing will begin “early next year.” In the initial phase, satellite-to-cell communication will be limited to text messaging, while data and voice calling capabilities will be introduced in a later phase.

One of the biggest advantages of T-Mobile’s service – compared to what companies like Apple have implemented on iPhones – is that the entire process is relatively straightforward. Users don’t have to go through the hassle of finding clear skies and aiming their phone to connect to the satellite network.

“Both incoming and outgoing messages are sent and received like any other message,” the carrier says. That’s because the direct-to-cell satellite service has been tuned to integrate with T-Mobile’s existing terrestrial network infrastructure.

The ultimate goal is to cover areas such as flight hours, off-grid locations, and even areas that are outside of T-Mobile’s cellular coverage on the ground. The company has already tested the service on a small scale to help people affected by Hurricanes Helene and Milton.

When the entire satellite network is in place, T-Mobile says the new service will cover an area of ​​over half a million square miles. The biggest advantage, however, is that T-Mobile doesn’t require custom hardware or flagship phones to do the feature work.

T-Mobile has previously assured that most smartphones will be ready when the service is widely available. This means users don’t necessarily need to spend more money on a dedicated phone or invest in a standalone device like the Motorola Defy Satellite Link.

“To ensure a great customer experience, we are optimizing the experience on select smartphones during beta and will expand the beta to more customers and phones as more satellites are launched,” the company’s FAQ page says.

To date, Apple has been the leading adopter of the technology. Earlier this year, the company expanded its scope beyond simply contacting emergency responders when users are in a location where there is no terrestrial network.

With its next rugged smartwatch, Apple is expected to enable satellite-based communication on the next Apple Watch Ultra. Google also introduced satellite messaging with Android 15 earlier this year and preceded the wider release with a matching update for the Pixel 9 series smartphones. In T-Mobile’s case, a broader launch of its direct-to-cell satellite service is expected sometime in 2025.