The satellite-to-phone service T-Mobile and Starlink first announced back in 2022 has gotten a lot closer to deployment. As SpaceNews and Reuters report, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has granted the companies conditional approval to provide T-Mobile subscribers coverage using Starlink satellites in locations that can't be reached by the carrier's network.

Starlink received approval to provide Supplemental Coverage from Space (SCS) within the United States. This means that in areas not covered by terrestrial cellular networks, Starlink satellites can provide service to cell phones.

Starlink’s Direct-to-Cell technology represents a significant leap forward in mobile telecommunications. By partnering with leading telecom companies around the world, including T-Mobile in the U.S., Starlink aims to bridge connectivity gaps that have long plagued rural and isolated areas.

The T-Mobile license is the first collaboration between a satellite operator and wireless carrier to be approved by the FCC to provide supplemental cell coverage from space. “The Commission recognized that satellite-to-device connectivity can support critical public interest benefits,

However, as The Verge points out, there are some restrictions in the FCC filing. SpaceX cannot yet increase the radio emission power of its Starlink satellites. Companies such as

SpaceX's direct-to-cell technology will connect millions of Americans with T-Mobiles network, but there are still over 500,000 square miles of the US with no cell service. FCC approval sets SpaceX ahead in the market,

SpaceX’s Starlink satellite network has earned a groundbreaking Federal Communications Commission (FCC) approval, marking a significant step toward delivering direct-to-phone connectivity for T-Mobile customers.