UPDATE Elon Musk said late last week that Starlink’s exclusivity deal with T-Mobile (NASDAQ: TMUS) would only last for a year. After that, SpaceX would be free to partner with other carriers in the future. This news was on the heels of Starlink announcing that emergency services would be available to all smartphones globally. Musk also said that he hopes SpaceX can partner with one carrier from every country and expand services to other carriers.
This announcement followed a post by Ben Longmier, SpaceX’s senior director of satellite engineering, who highlighted the successful launch of 26 additional satellites capable of delivering services directly to mobile phones. These launches, completed at the end of the previous month using Falcon F9 rockets, increased the total number of compatible Starlink satellites in orbit to 168.
T-Mobile and Starlink initially announced their partnership in August 2022, but details about their collaboration have remained vague, particularly regarding when services would become available. In May, SpaceX, Starlink’s parent company, filed documents with the FCC revealing plans to launch a “commercial direct-to-cellular” service in the U.S. later this year, Inside Towers reported.
Musk’s latest statements suggest that Starlink’s partnership with T-Mobile will initially focus on providing internet access, which contrasts with the approach taken by competitors like AT&T (NYSE: T) and Verizon (NYSE: VZ). These rivals appear to be prioritizing messaging services through their agreements with other satellite providers. Beyond T-Mobile, Starlink has also forged partnerships with several global operators, including Rogers Communications (NYSE: RCI) in Canada, Optus in Australia, and KDDI in Japan, among others.
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