Some important notes. It is not "open to all". It is open to anyone with a USA cell phone number. Coverage is currently limited to North America only. Compatible phones: Apple iPhone 14 and later...
Some important notes. It is not "open to all". It is open to anyone with a USA cell phone number. Coverage is currently limited to North America only. Compatible phones:
Apple iPhone 14 and later (including Plus, Pro & Pro Max)
Google Pixel 9 (including Pro, Pro Fold, & Pro XL)
Motorola 2024 and later (including razr, razr+, edge and g series)
Samsung Galaxy A14, A15, A16, A35, A53, A54
Samsung Galaxy S21 and later (including Plus, Ultra and Fan Edition)
Samsung Galaxy X Cover6 Pro
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3 and later
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 and later
REVVL 7 (including Pro)
Edit: Some of their marketing copy implies that it is only available to Verizon, AT&T, and T-mobile customers. I don't know what that means for MVNO carriers. I was able to successfully sign up for the beta with a cell phone handled by twilio. It is a limited closed beta, so I have to wait for them to contact me. I am currently in Europe, so I don't know if it will even work. My theory is that they say it's North America only, but they don't actually have checks in place by location, since Starlink is by default a global network, not a country based network. If I get into the beta, I will try to remember to update this post.
Could very well be depending on phone hardware, whether they have a sensitive enough antenna/powerful enough transmitter to reach 150km up to where the satellites are...
Could very well be depending on phone hardware, whether they have a sensitive enough antenna/powerful enough transmitter to reach 150km up to where the satellites are...
I got in when T-Mobile's email let me know it was an option in January. It's frustratingly, if maybe understandably, limited. From the intro message it will only fallback if you have no other...
I got in when T-Mobile's email let me know it was an option in January.
It's frustratingly, if maybe understandably, limited. From the intro message it will only fallback if you have no other network connections and only in designated areas in the US. I kind of get they don't want to overwhelm whatever the bandwidth they're able to squeeze out of cellphone antennas by having everyone try it at once. At the same time I'm extremely unlikely to trust an emergency service I can never test until I need it....
I'm driving through the back end of TX/NM in a few weeks and going to be watching my signal indicator like a hawk to see if it switches to "T-Mobile SpaceX" like it's supposed to. There's a few spots I know it "should". But their provided coverage map frustratingly still seems to have large gap spots which I don't understand.
As it is much more trusting of something like an InReach.
I watched this during the Super Bowl and couldn’t help feel that this was incredibly dystopian. Does no one see that this is an easy way for Elon Musk, same guy that’s dismantling the government,...
I watched this during the Super Bowl and couldn’t help feel that this was incredibly dystopian. Does no one see that this is an easy way for Elon Musk, same guy that’s dismantling the government, to spy on people that might be dissenting against him? So many nightmare scenarios coming from this, and as someone who said this already, I won’t touch this with a 10 foot pole.
After seeing what he's done with Twitter and DOGE, I won't touch it with a 10 foot pole, either. The man has no integrity and no empathy for anyone, and is totally above the law. With his move...
After seeing what he's done with Twitter and DOGE, I won't touch it with a 10 foot pole, either. The man has no integrity and no empathy for anyone, and is totally above the law. With his move again USAID, the world's richest man has ended assistance to millions of the poorest people in the world, likely causing some significant number of deaths in the near future. His DOGE minions are making the lives of dedicated career civil servants miserable. Not only does he want to destroy government, he wants to ensure that everyone in government suffers the whole time he's dismantling it. I can go without Internet in the sticks if it means keeping this tyrant's hands off my data and my life. I'm dismayed T-Mobile would do a deal with such a toxic figure, but that's late stage capitalism. I'll never buy service from T-Mobile, either.
It's worse than a lack of integrity or empathy, I'm honestly convinced he's closer to sociopathic (which I guess is basically the definition of a lack of empathy.) He's fully comfortable just...
It's worse than a lack of integrity or empathy, I'm honestly convinced he's closer to sociopathic (which I guess is basically the definition of a lack of empathy.) He's fully comfortable just lying about anything and everything no matter the stakes just to advance whatever goal strikes his fancy that week. The cult of personality that has formed behind him has only galvanized this dangerous behavior and the fact that he's now in one of the most powerful positions in the country is terrifying. I have no idea if we have any hope of getting rid of him at this point, outside of him keeling over from all of the ketamine. But since he's a billionaire he's probably getting weekly blood donations from a 15 year old boy to keep him healthy.
Maybe we'll get lucky and one of those worryingly increasingly common airline disasters will pick the right plane next time and take down some private jets.
tbh, this is my genuine first concern. And that could be overblown, I'm not technologically savvy on all things by any means, but why would I trust that man's companies right now?
tbh, this is my genuine first concern. And that could be overblown, I'm not technologically savvy on all things by any means, but why would I trust that man's companies right now?
Yep. Sure seems like one of those “if the product is free, you’re the product” offerings. We’ve seen Musk’s true colors. I bet the service will work great in all the blue activist communities.
Yep. Sure seems like one of those “if the product is free, you’re the product” offerings.
We’ve seen Musk’s true colors. I bet the service will work great in all the blue activist communities.
I already have free emergency satellite messaging, globally, not just in Starlink's limited US area. Every iPhone since the 14 has Globalstar 911 SMS. The page says two years from purchase, but...
I already have free emergency satellite messaging, globally, not just in Starlink's limited US area. Every iPhone since the 14 has Globalstar 911 SMS. The page says two years from purchase, but Apple still hasn't put forward any plans to charge for it.
It would be nice to be able to do more than just text 911 though, there's a lot of room in a dangerous situation between "I need to contact my family" and "I need emergency services." Especially...
It would be nice to be able to do more than just text 911 though, there's a lot of room in a dangerous situation between "I need to contact my family" and "I need emergency services." Especially for those people who can't afford iPhones or don't want to buy them :)
Starting in iOS 18, Messages via satellite can help you connect with your friends and family*, even when you’re somewhere with no cellular and Wi-Fi coverage. You can send and receive texts, emojis, and Tapbacks over iMessage and SMS.
It also supports sharing your location with other people through Find My. I am pretty sure they also added support for general purpose iMessage, including the SMS fallback, so it is functionally...
It also supports sharing your location with other people through Find My. I am pretty sure they also added support for general purpose iMessage, including the SMS fallback, so it is functionally identical to this starlink setup. Although I have never tried that function successfully.
If it works that sounds awesome, from what I'm reading online though it seems like it's fairly unreliable. The globestar satellite network they're using only has 24 satellites which is a lot but...
If it works that sounds awesome, from what I'm reading online though it seems like it's fairly unreliable. The globestar satellite network they're using only has 24 satellites which is a lot but may not be enough for reliable coverage of large areas which may be contributing to its reported unreliability. From what you and others have said, it doesn't paint the picture of a very good safety feature if you can't depend on it working in a lot of situations.
This is quite literally life saving technology and I'm incredibly surprised it's being rolled out so soon. I was pretty pessimistic on this because of the history of musk's companies...
This is quite literally life saving technology and I'm incredibly surprised it's being rolled out so soon. I was pretty pessimistic on this because of the history of musk's companies over-promising and under-delivering for decades now. If this beta goes well and works well it will be a great new step towards further connecting parts of the world that have been historically neglected by traditional networking infrastructure.
If I never use the product unless I'm in a situation where I desperately need it, then yes I would imagine it is worth it. I already have T-Mobile so if it's just an included feature for their...
If I never use the product unless I'm in a situation where I desperately need it, then yes I would imagine it is worth it. I already have T-Mobile so if it's just an included feature for their network (similar to how Apples satellite system seems to work.)
Personally I wouldn't sign up for it if I had to pay money, but if it's a free service that's included in my cellphone plan, I certainly will be using it if I would be in that situation.
"The cost" isnt just financial cost if it gives them other access to your information. If we don't know the risks of accessing the service this is all theoretical, but the idea of an emergency...
"The cost" isnt just financial cost if it gives them other access to your information.
If we don't know the risks of accessing the service this is all theoretical, but the idea of an emergency that is very unlikely to happen to most people may not be worth signing away, say, privacy.
You're absolutely able to make that call, but it's not unreasonable to avoid services provided by a guy doing Nazi salutes and gutting our government due to distrust or distaste or principle.
I don't understand how it's signing away privacy if you aren't using the service unless you're in an emergency situation. Regardless, in the same vein I don't begrudge people using Starlink as...
I don't understand how it's signing away privacy if you aren't using the service unless you're in an emergency situation. Regardless, in the same vein I don't begrudge people using Starlink as their ISP if they have no reasonable alternative for an Internet connection. This is because I realize I am in the privileged position of having a fairly affordable, fast internet connection and it is very important to my life and work. I cannot deny the importance of that utility to someone else on grounds that they're giving money to an evil person.
Technology like this has already proved its worth, when I was researching Apple satellite SMS network (because I was previously unaware of it) I read many stories of folks affected by hurricane Helene in Western NC who utilized the satellite SMS service to reach emergency services in order to be evacuated, I also read similar stories from people affected by the wildfires in California.
I live only 100 miles away from the devastation in Western NC, it really isn't that far away and it's made me aware of how quickly things can go from "incredibly unlikely" to "happening to you and your family." I don't take any of that for granted anymore.
I'm not sure what consumer data is shared with Starlink by T-Mobile or if you autoconnect to Starlink when you lose service, especially as they roll out the "backup phone call" option. And if you...
I don't understand how it's signing away privacy if you aren't using the service unless you're in an emergency situation.
I'm not sure what consumer data is shared with Starlink by T-Mobile or if you autoconnect to Starlink when you lose service, especially as they roll out the "backup phone call" option. And if you don't trust the guy in charge of the company with your data, regardless of the legal protections, that could outweigh relatively small risk of needing it in an emergency. The guy is demonstrating a persistent lack of trustworthiness with data currently. I'm not saying I know the privacy concern, but Starlink is making money on this somehow, which means either they're being paid by T-Mobile or they're getting to see/use customer data or both. (And I'm not referring inherently to the text message itself, but to your demographics and location and such)
I understand why you want it, but I also think it's reasonable to have hesitations from a privacy angle, or to avoid using it as a principle. Tragedies happen, but there's no guarantee my phone wouldn't be as likely to wash away in flash flood or be left behind in a desperate panic to evacuate either. And for me, where tornados are the biggest concern, I'm not nearly as worried about lacking a text message option as others may be.
Maybe he’s been distracted lately door to “running” 300 companies and the other shenanigans he’s been up to. So this company got the chance to get something done!
Maybe he’s been distracted lately door to “running” 300 companies and the other shenanigans he’s been up to. So this company got the chance to get something done!
In a splashy ad that aired during the Super Bowl’s first quarter on Sunday, T-Mobile said it was throwing open the doors to its satellite messaging beta test — powered by Elon Musk’s Starlink — for free until July. The twist? You don’t even need to be an existing T-Mobile customer to try it.
...
First, you’ll need to sign up for the satellite service beta — you can do that here. While T-Mobile says it’s “now open for free to absolutely everyone,” its fine print admits that there are “limited spots available,” so there’s a chance some people won’t get access.
You’ll also need the right kind of smartphone, which is to say not a super-old one. T-Mobile’s Katz says the service should work on “pretty much any smartphone made in the last four years.”
Popular models, like iPhones and Samsung Galaxy phones, should work fine right out of the gate, but owners of less common devices may have to wait “a couple more weeks” as T-Mobile works with device makers to fine-tune the satellite experience, he added.
Some important notes. It is not "open to all". It is open to anyone with a USA cell phone number. Coverage is currently limited to North America only. Compatible phones:
Apple iPhone 14 and later (including Plus, Pro & Pro Max)
Google Pixel 9 (including Pro, Pro Fold, & Pro XL)
Motorola 2024 and later (including razr, razr+, edge and g series)
Samsung Galaxy A14, A15, A16, A35, A53, A54
Samsung Galaxy S21 and later (including Plus, Ultra and Fan Edition)
Samsung Galaxy X Cover6 Pro
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3 and later
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 and later
REVVL 7 (including Pro)
Edit: Some of their marketing copy implies that it is only available to Verizon, AT&T, and T-mobile customers. I don't know what that means for MVNO carriers. I was able to successfully sign up for the beta with a cell phone handled by twilio. It is a limited closed beta, so I have to wait for them to contact me. I am currently in Europe, so I don't know if it will even work. My theory is that they say it's North America only, but they don't actually have checks in place by location, since Starlink is by default a global network, not a country based network. If I get into the beta, I will try to remember to update this post.
Well that's disappointing
Not that unexpected for a beta, I'm sure it'll roll out for more phones and locations relatively quickly if it ends up being successful.
Could very well be depending on phone hardware, whether they have a sensitive enough antenna/powerful enough transmitter to reach 150km up to where the satellites are...
I got in when T-Mobile's email let me know it was an option in January.
It's frustratingly, if maybe understandably, limited. From the intro message it will only fallback if you have no other network connections and only in designated areas in the US. I kind of get they don't want to overwhelm whatever the bandwidth they're able to squeeze out of cellphone antennas by having everyone try it at once. At the same time I'm extremely unlikely to trust an emergency service I can never test until I need it....
I'm driving through the back end of TX/NM in a few weeks and going to be watching my signal indicator like a hawk to see if it switches to "T-Mobile SpaceX" like it's supposed to. There's a few spots I know it "should". But their provided coverage map frustratingly still seems to have large gap spots which I don't understand.
As it is much more trusting of something like an InReach.
Even if they increase the limit, won’t phones need new radios to output at the higher limits?
What is missing from older phones that makes them incompatible? Is it actually a hardware incompatibility, or is it to force people onto newer models?
I watched this during the Super Bowl and couldn’t help feel that this was incredibly dystopian. Does no one see that this is an easy way for Elon Musk, same guy that’s dismantling the government, to spy on people that might be dissenting against him? So many nightmare scenarios coming from this, and as someone who said this already, I won’t touch this with a 10 foot pole.
After seeing what he's done with Twitter and DOGE, I won't touch it with a 10 foot pole, either. The man has no integrity and no empathy for anyone, and is totally above the law. With his move again USAID, the world's richest man has ended assistance to millions of the poorest people in the world, likely causing some significant number of deaths in the near future. His DOGE minions are making the lives of dedicated career civil servants miserable. Not only does he want to destroy government, he wants to ensure that everyone in government suffers the whole time he's dismantling it. I can go without Internet in the sticks if it means keeping this tyrant's hands off my data and my life. I'm dismayed T-Mobile would do a deal with such a toxic figure, but that's late stage capitalism. I'll never buy service from T-Mobile, either.
It's worse than a lack of integrity or empathy, I'm honestly convinced he's closer to sociopathic (which I guess is basically the definition of a lack of empathy.) He's fully comfortable just lying about anything and everything no matter the stakes just to advance whatever goal strikes his fancy that week. The cult of personality that has formed behind him has only galvanized this dangerous behavior and the fact that he's now in one of the most powerful positions in the country is terrifying. I have no idea if we have any hope of getting rid of him at this point, outside of him keeling over from all of the ketamine. But since he's a billionaire he's probably getting weekly blood donations from a 15 year old boy to keep him healthy.
Maybe we'll get lucky and one of those worryingly increasingly common airline disasters will pick the right plane next time and take down some private jets.
tbh, this is my genuine first concern. And that could be overblown, I'm not technologically savvy on all things by any means, but why would I trust that man's companies right now?
Yep. Sure seems like one of those “if the product is free, you’re the product” offerings.
We’ve seen Musk’s true colors. I bet the service will work great in all the blue activist communities.
I already have free emergency satellite messaging, globally, not just in Starlink's limited US area. Every iPhone since the 14 has Globalstar 911 SMS. The page says two years from purchase, but Apple still hasn't put forward any plans to charge for it.
And it doesn't involve a Musk company.
It would be nice to be able to do more than just text 911 though, there's a lot of room in a dangerous situation between "I need to contact my family" and "I need emergency services." Especially for those people who can't afford iPhones or don't want to buy them :)
https://support.apple.com/en-us/120930
Neat! Great that non-apple people are getting the option now too!
It also supports sharing your location with other people through Find My. I am pretty sure they also added support for general purpose iMessage, including the SMS fallback, so it is functionally identical to this starlink setup. Although I have never tried that function successfully.
If it works that sounds awesome, from what I'm reading online though it seems like it's fairly unreliable. The globestar satellite network they're using only has 24 satellites which is a lot but may not be enough for reliable coverage of large areas which may be contributing to its reported unreliability. From what you and others have said, it doesn't paint the picture of a very good safety feature if you can't depend on it working in a lot of situations.
https://www.reddit.com/r/preppers/comments/1fwt6wa/dont_depend_on_ios_satellite_messaging
This is quite literally life saving technology and I'm incredibly surprised it's being rolled out so soon. I was pretty pessimistic on this because of the history of musk's companies over-promising and under-delivering for decades now. If this beta goes well and works well it will be a great new step towards further connecting parts of the world that have been historically neglected by traditional networking infrastructure.
I still won't touch it with a 10 foot pole because an actual Nazi is making money from this.
I mean if I was in an emergency situation I think I would have slightly different priorities but to each their own.
Are the odds of that worth the cost? as noted by others, are you the product if this is 'free'?
What risks are there to accessing the service?
If I never use the product unless I'm in a situation where I desperately need it, then yes I would imagine it is worth it. I already have T-Mobile so if it's just an included feature for their network (similar to how Apples satellite system seems to work.)
Personally I wouldn't sign up for it if I had to pay money, but if it's a free service that's included in my cellphone plan, I certainly will be using it if I would be in that situation.
"The cost" isnt just financial cost if it gives them other access to your information.
If we don't know the risks of accessing the service this is all theoretical, but the idea of an emergency that is very unlikely to happen to most people may not be worth signing away, say, privacy.
You're absolutely able to make that call, but it's not unreasonable to avoid services provided by a guy doing Nazi salutes and gutting our government due to distrust or distaste or principle.
I don't understand how it's signing away privacy if you aren't using the service unless you're in an emergency situation. Regardless, in the same vein I don't begrudge people using Starlink as their ISP if they have no reasonable alternative for an Internet connection. This is because I realize I am in the privileged position of having a fairly affordable, fast internet connection and it is very important to my life and work. I cannot deny the importance of that utility to someone else on grounds that they're giving money to an evil person.
Technology like this has already proved its worth, when I was researching Apple satellite SMS network (because I was previously unaware of it) I read many stories of folks affected by hurricane Helene in Western NC who utilized the satellite SMS service to reach emergency services in order to be evacuated, I also read similar stories from people affected by the wildfires in California.
I live only 100 miles away from the devastation in Western NC, it really isn't that far away and it's made me aware of how quickly things can go from "incredibly unlikely" to "happening to you and your family." I don't take any of that for granted anymore.
I'm not sure what consumer data is shared with Starlink by T-Mobile or if you autoconnect to Starlink when you lose service, especially as they roll out the "backup phone call" option. And if you don't trust the guy in charge of the company with your data, regardless of the legal protections, that could outweigh relatively small risk of needing it in an emergency. The guy is demonstrating a persistent lack of trustworthiness with data currently. I'm not saying I know the privacy concern, but Starlink is making money on this somehow, which means either they're being paid by T-Mobile or they're getting to see/use customer data or both. (And I'm not referring inherently to the text message itself, but to your demographics and location and such)
I understand why you want it, but I also think it's reasonable to have hesitations from a privacy angle, or to avoid using it as a principle. Tragedies happen, but there's no guarantee my phone wouldn't be as likely to wash away in flash flood or be left behind in a desperate panic to evacuate either. And for me, where tornados are the biggest concern, I'm not nearly as worried about lacking a text message option as others may be.
Maybe he’s been distracted lately door to “running” 300 companies and the other shenanigans he’s been up to. So this company got the chance to get something done!
From the article:
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Mirror: https://archive.is/wQtGY