Elon Musk's SpaceX and T-Mobile to Link Satellites to Mobile Phones, 'Eliminating Dead Zones Worldwide' Tesla cars will also be able to connect to new Starlink satellites in the future.

By Huileng Tan

This story originally appeared on Business Insider

Michael Gonzalez/Getty Images via BI

Elon Musk's SpaceX and T-Mobile are teaming up to offer mobile users phone service via Starlink satellites, the companies announced on Thursday.

The service will be particularly useful in areas with no cell coverage, particularly when there's an emergency, SpaceX founder Musk said at an event in Texas.

SpaceX and T-Mobile said in a press release that the new plan would "provide near complete coverage in most places in the US — even in many of the most remote locations previously unreachable by traditional cell signals."

The service is expected to launch next year with T-Mobile using its mid-band spectrum to create a new network, T-Mobile CEO Mike Sievert said at the same event. It will work with most phones and text service is the first to be rolled out, he added.

Musk also made the announcement on his Twitter feed, saying the new service was aimed at "eliminating dead zones worldwide." Tesla cars would also be able to connect to new Starlink satellites that are able to transmit mobile phones, Musk said in response to questions about the function.

SpaceX's Starlink was initially set up to provide high-speed internet to people living in rural areas with spotty coverage. It has a user base of over 400,000 subscribers worldwide and over 2,800 satellites in low-Earth orbit.

On Thursday, Starlink prices dropped for some users in the UK, Mexico, Germany, and Netherlands, according to The Verge.

Editor's Pick

Related Topics

Thought Leaders

Goldman Sachs Is Making a Mistake. Forcing Remote-Capable Teams Back Into The Office Is Not The Answer — Here's Why.

This move raises an alarm not just for the financial sector but for all remote-capable industries, ranging from the financial industry to the tech sector, igniting a debate about the future of work.

Making a Change

Access 15-Minute Book Summaries for Just $59.97 Ahead of Fall

Learn new things in your spare time with this summary app.

Business News

Renowned Federal Judge, 96, Faces Yearlong Suspension For Refusing to Retire

Judge Pauline Newman, a highly respected figure in patent law, has been suspended for one year by her colleagues due to mounting concerns about her mental fitness.

Growing a Business

Your Online Customer Experience Is More Than a Buzzword — It's the Backbone of Your Business. Here's How to Optimize It.

If you want to scale your business, you need to have top-tier online customer service. Here's how you achieve that.

Growing a Business

Do Unplug Days Lead to Productivity? The Answer May Surprise You.

Unplug Day are days when companies give employees the freedom to step away from their desks, attend zero meetings, and even take the day off entirely. This emerging trend is designed to combat burnout and promote work-life balance, and thus boost productivity.