An unexpected new project set up by three separate carriers, AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon, aims to help iPhone and other smartphone users get a signal even in a place that was previously a dead spot.
Direct-To-Device Satellite Infrastructure
The system uses satellite technologies to shrink coverage gaps using services which are direct to device. “Announced via a press release, the joint venture will use satellite-based, direct-to-device (D2D) technologies. T-Mobile was the first to launch the D2D tech for both text and data, the company notes, while AT&T announced similar functionality in 2024,” Apple Insider commented.
“This initiative will help America extend its global leadership in wireless communications technology and services by delivering exceptional, resilient connectivity and creating the best and most diverse ecosystem for wireless and satellite products and services,” the press release said.
Pooling Resources For Disaster Resilience
The service will see the carriers pool resources and specifies that the satellite services will function as supplementary components. The plan is there will be fewer coverage gaps, so areas previously unserved would be covered. It should also help in times of emergency when natural disasters or other issues cause disruptions.
And access to satellite services should become simpler, no matter who your provider is. The press release says user experience “will improve on satellite networks, with a standards-based approach to development involving operating system providers, mobile app developers and original equipment manufacturers.”
While it’s not yet clear exactly which services will be made available through satellite, it may well be more than the text messages to emergency services which characterized Apple’s initial offering.
SpaceX And Regulatory Backlash
The deal is not yet finalized, however, and SpaceX president Gwynne Shotwell commented on X about the agreement in principle, saying: “Weeeelllll, I guess @Starlink Mobile is doing something right! It’s David and Goliath (X3) all over again — I’m bettin’ on David :),” she said.
As reported by PC Mag, New York-based research firm Lightshed Partners, wondered about the legality of the joint venture.
“The bigger question is whether the DOJ even allows it…Three high-margin competitors moving in parallel just as a new rival prepares to enter is the kind of pattern that raises real collusion concerns,” he wrote in the tweet.