Joe Maring / Android Authority
TL;DR
- T-Mobile has expanded its T-Satellite service to include limited satellite data in addition to texting, available to both its own customers and others for $10 per month.
- Satellite connectivity is restricted to select optimized apps such as WhatsApp, X, AccuWeather, AllTrails, and T-Life, with no support for full web browsing.
- While the service works reliably once connected, our own testing shows that establishing a satellite connection can often be difficult in some cases.
T-Mobile officially launched its T-Satellite service earlier this summer, which brings satellite texting to select T-Mobile plans or to AT&T, Verizon, and prepaid customers as a stand-alone option. Now the service is getting a major upgrade with the introduction of satellite data. As you might expect, there are a few catches here.
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First, it’s important to be aware that you still won’t have full access to web browsing and other online functions outside of these supported apps unless you are directly connected to T-Mobile’s terrestrial network. Satellite-based data will only work with apps that have been optimized for satellite connectivity, including AccuWeather, AllTrails, X, T-Life, WhatsApp, and a few others.
The bigger question is how well some of these apps will perform. I recently had the opportunity to test out T-Satellite, and while it worked like advertised once connected, it wasn’t exactly easy to get it to connect to the satellite network in the first place. A colleague of mine ran into a similar problem when he tested the service earlier during its beta phase. The good news is that most of these solutions don’t require constant connectivity and should work well once you do get a connection.
For those who have yet to give T-Satellite a try, you can get it as a stand-alone product for $10 a month for both T-Mobile customers and those from other networks.
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