SpaceX launches have come a long way since the initial test flights conducted a few years ago for its reusable rockets. Now, the aerospace company has launched missions to drop off supplies on the International Space Station and get its Starlink satellites into orbit. While the company is not headquartered in the Seattle area it has a presence in the region and announced that it will partner with Bellevue-based T-Mobile to expand its wireless network.
On Thursday, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk and T-Mobile CEO Mike Sievert hosted a YouTube livestream event where they announced both companies will work together to set up cellular service in “dead zones,” or areas where service is typically unavailable — such as National Parks, mountains and deserts. To do so, T-Mobile will utilize SpaceX’s low-orbit Starlink satellite, an internet constellation.
Starlink was launched in 2019 and provides internet connectivity in some 40 countries. SpaceX is able to provide a high-speed connection with Starlink through a network of over 3,000 low-orbit satellites that are manufactured in a facility in Redmond. Despite the service’s popularity, it is currently only available in select locations but this new partnership will change that.
“We’ve always thought differently about what it means to keep customers connected, and that’s why we’re working with the best to deliver coverage above and beyond anything customers have ever seen before,” Sievert said in a press release. “More than just a groundbreaking alliance, this represents two industry-shaking innovators challenging the old ways of doing things to create something entirely new that will further connect customers and scare competitors.”
T-Mobile has over 110 million subscribers that use its telecommunication services. By partnering with SpaceX, T-Mobile will get access to the Starlink network that provides low-latency, high-speed internet access in remote locations. Doing so will likely supercharge T-Mobile’s 5G services.
