T Mobile Starlink Sat Phone

[treillw]

It's gonna be longer than you think before Tmo uses starlink for sat comms...still has to be approved by FCC..VzW/Att have filed suit to stop the approval. BE lucky if it's available by Feb.

https://www.datacenterdynamics.com/en/news/att-and-verizon-outline-opposition-to-t-mobile-and-spacexs-satellite-service-amid-fears-of-interference/

I was seeing that they got FCC approval like 5 days ago.

 

[tdhanses]

FCC Clears SpaceX's Cellular Starlink For Commercial Operations

The US regulator is also allowing SpaceX to orbit some of the company's Starlink satellites closer to Earth, which should reduce latency.

www.pcmag.com

 

[tdhanses]

It's gonna be longer than you think before Tmo uses starlink for sat comms...still has to be approved by FCC..VzW/Att have filed suit to stop the approval. BE lucky if it's available by Feb.

https://www.datacenterdynamics.com/en/news/att-and-verizon-outline-opposition-to-t-mobile-and-spacexs-satellite-service-amid-fears-of-interference/

That’s just the enhancement to voice and internet, texting has passed but this is also standard when a competitor is failing behind to try and limit the ones growing, we see this in all industries but in the end it means little, all this is a means so they can tell their shareholders they tried.

 

[bliner]

I tried using the Verizon satellite texting a few weeks ago, and couldn’t get the text to go through. I was in a canyon so that was probably the issue, but I’m not going to get rid of my Zoleo anytime soon.

 

[Sccritterkiller]

FCC Clears SpaceX's Cellular Starlink For Commercial Operations

The US regulator is also allowing SpaceX to orbit some of the company's Starlink satellites closer to Earth, which should reduce latency.

www.pcmag.com

Interesting...was hunting all last week missed the approval...

 

[displacedtexan]

Funny, pretty easy to tell you don’t keep up with leaps in technology, Verizon is now 10yrs behind tmobile since the 5G jump.

Spectrum holdings are key and tmobile has a vast portfolio since the merger with sprint.

Sprint coverage is still garbage compared to AT&T and Verizon.

 

[tdhanses]

Sprint coverage is still garbage compared to AT&T and Verizon.

I’d think considering Sprint hasn’t been around for 4yrs.

 

[displacedtexan]

I’d think considering Sprint hasn’t been around for 4yrs.

That's what you were using as proof they weren't trash. That they merged with other trash.

 

[WoolyBugger]

I will say, I switched from Verizon to T-Mobile this summer and in my area it’s sucked. I’ll just not have service randomly or have service but can’t load or get texts out. But my phone bill was cut in half by switching and I got the new iPhone 16 pro max.

The Apple satellite texting worked perfectly for me in CO during 1st rifle. Only time it wouldn’t work is in places where the satellites were obviously too low or behind a mtn. But waited a few min and another satellite came by.

 

[Marshfly]

Watching people that can't comprehend that different cell providers work better in different areas of the country argue back and forth is amusing.

 

[treillw]

I spent way too much of my life fussing with this. T-mobile salesmen have turned out to be real toolbags and keep adding on extra charges, despite my immediate request for a complete upfront out the door price without me modifying anything during the duration of the conversation. The bill went from $160 to $280 without me changing a thing and the salesman standing there talking himself in circles. Amazing. It's easier to buy a car.

I don't see how I can trust them. Will Verizon ever get linked up with "space cell phone towers", like T-mobile? Any idea how long that will be? Sounds like starlink satellites are proprietary to T-mobile for one year, from what I've read.

Thanks!

 

[IdahoBeav]

Yep, no coverage outside of my home town. Verizon works for me just about anywhere I hunt in the west. I live on the east side of the cascades, nothing but little towns going east and I had no service. This was a number of years ago, it may have gotten better, but I don't know one person who hunts and uses t mobile.

US Cellular was the one that puzzled me in Oregon. The coverage was the best available in Southern Oregon but almost worthless north of Eugene.

T-Mobile has been outstanding for me in Idaho, and in the backcountry, Apple satellite outperforms In-Reach in my experience.

 

[AZ8]

I spent way too much of my life fussing with this. T-mobile salesmen have turned out to be real toolbags and keep adding on extra charges, despite my immediate request for a complete upfront out the door price without me modifying anything during the duration of the conversation. The bill went from $160 to $280 without me changing a thing and the salesman standing there talking himself in circles. Amazing. It's easier to buy a car.

I don't see how I can trust them. Will Verizon ever get linked up with "space cell phone towers", like T-mobile? Any idea how long that will be? Sounds like starlink satellites are proprietary to T-mobile for one year, from what I've read.

Thanks!

It's coming to Verizon and ATT someday.

https://www.cnbc.com/2024/05/29/ast-spacemobile-verizon-satellite-internet.html#:~:text=Satellite%2Dto%2Dphones%20service%20provider,prepayments%20and%20a%20debt%20investment.

 

[treillw]

It's coming to Verizon and ATT someday.

https://www.cnbc.com/2024/05/29/ast-spacemobile-verizon-satellite-internet.html#:~:text=Satellite%2Dto%2Dphones%20service%20provider,prepayments%20and%20a%20debt%20investment.

I really like Elon. Wish he would be on team Verizon. haha

Our starlink internet is amazing.

 

[tdhanses]

I really like Elon. Wish he would be on team Verizon. haha

Our starlink internet is amazing.

Have you tried to just sign up for service online and see what it would cost? Bet that store rep added a bunch of things like insurance etc as that adds up.

https://www.t-mobile.com/cell-phone-plans?INTNAV=tNav%3APlans%3AMagenta

Really no need to go into a store to do this.

 

[treillw]

Have you tried to just sign up for service online and see what it would cost? Bet that store rep added a bunch of things like insurance etc as that adds up.

https://www.t-mobile.com/cell-phone-plans?INTNAV=tNav%3APlans%3AMagenta

Really no need to go into a store to do this.

Costco is supposedly giving like $2k in gift cards, however the devil is in the details. I will look at the website.

 

[tdhanses]

Costco is supposedly giving like $2k in gift cards, however the devil is in the details. I will look at the website.

I bet those are Costco employees as well, wouldn’t shock me, probably work off commission mainly.

 

[NRA4LIFE]

I could sit here and tell numerous horror stories about T-Mobile. The first being, WE HAVE NO COVERAGE AT OUR HOUSE! And yes, I'm yelling. And it's not like we live a gazillion miles from nowhere. We're 20 miles outside Seattle for god's sake.

 

[Bailer]

Costco is supposedly giving like $2k in gift cards, however the devil is in the details. I will look at the website.

My wife did ours at Costco. She mentioned gift cards, I don’t remember how much and I’m sure she intends to make use of them herself.

My work phone is Verizon, so far I see some locations where t-mobile is better, more where Verizon works and t-mobile doesn’t. Starlink will be nice if/when it happens.

 

[jgross424]

I switched to tmobile a few years ago and as many others have said its not great in rural locations compared to Verizon so i have been anxiously waiting for the Direct to Cell to drop. pretty exciting stuff.

But in the meantime, I have been buying Verizon eSim's as needed. I use the 'Airalo' app to buy them. Its like $9 for 3gb for 30 days. Its not a lot if you are streaming video at home or whatever.. but it works well while driving thru the mtns where t-mobile isn't as good so you can still send iMessages, calls, or loading maps/webpages.

There are a couple other eSim apps that use T-mobile networks (if you have verizon/att) and some that use ATT. Nomad is one.

(For those of you not familiar with eSim's, its basically adding a 2nd data line on your phone so you can run a T-mobile line and a verizon line and it will switch automatically to which ever has better signal.. )