By SpaceX and T-Mobile US Inc. said they plan to work together to use the rocket company’s satellites to provide connections to T-Mobile cellphones across the U.S., even in remote areas with no current wireless service.
The companies said Thursday that the new service will use Starlink satellites that SpaceX plans to launch and provide connections to U.S. consumers using wireless spectrum controlled by T-Mobile
TMUS,
+1.20%.
The companies said they plan to start with a test of text-messaging services in select markets before the end of 2023.
The end goal of the partnership is to provide voice and data services anywhere, regardless of cell towers, allowing areas not yet reached by wireless networks to get service. That would include places where cellular signals simply can’t reach, such as the middle of a national park or a large body of water.
The project was unveiled by SpaceX founder Elon Musk and T-Mobile CEO Mike Sievert at an event at SpaceX’s facility in Texas.
The companies didn’t immediately disclose pricing. Any financial arrangement between the companies wasn’t disclosed. T-Mobile didn’t say how much the new network would cost, or how much it is expected to get used or whether regulators would need to approve the service.
An expanded version of this report appears on WSJ.com.
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