US Mobile’s new bundle combines its multi-network mobile service with Starlink residential internet
MVNO US Mobile has announced a partnership with Starlink to offer customers a bundle which includes its pre-paid wireless service with home internet from the Space X owned LEO satellite internet provider. Ahmed Khattak, CEO of US Mobile, announced the partnership on Reddit, saying their Starlink One service will be offered without data caps. Khattak stated the Starlink bundle will be offered with US Mobile’s unlimited standard or premium plans able to access all three networks, which means customers only need to deal with one bill, one app and “one company that actually picks up the phone.”
“I won’t tease numbers too hard, but imagine a plan for less than $50 a month that spans every major network in the United States, extends across Canada and Mexico, includes internet from space at home,” Khattak wrote. US Mobile has MNVO deals in place with AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile US and uses a platform which gives customers the ability to switch between networks. This “terrestrial and celestial” unification allows customers to manage their home and mobile connectivity under a single bill and app.
US Mobile and SpaceX have joined forces to redefine convergence. | Image by US Mobile
Details on the exact cost of the bundled tier and Starlink equipment were not available. Wave7 Research analyst Jeff Moore told Mobile World Live Starlink started offering its home broadband service last month in 120 T-Mobile Boost retail stores as part of a pilot program. “If Starlink is working to sell home Internet via Boost and providing mobile connectivity via US Mobile, then Starlink is probably having conversations with other MVNOs about options for becoming channels for internet sales and for mobile satellite connectivity,” he explained.
Meanwhile, Khattak stated he expects similar deals will follow with additional satellite broadband providers such as Amazon Leo. “The endgame is Global Multi-Orbit Convergence. Every major terrestrial network on the ground, every major LEO constellation in the sky, stitched together into a single plan that follows you anywhere on earth,” Khattak added.
- Dynamic Network Switching: Users can access Warp (Verizon), Dark Star (AT&T), and Light Speed (T-Mobile).
- Automatic Handover: While US Mobile previously required manual “Teleporting” between networks, the new Multi-Network Add-on allows phones to automatically switch to the strongest available signal or a backup network if the primary one fails.
- Unified Account: Both the Starlink satellite session and terrestrial cellular lines are managed via a single “unification layer,” which CEO Ahmed Khattak describes as a software infrastructure that’s been a decade in the making.
- Introductory Pricing: Most Starlink discounts revert to standard pricing (an increase of roughly $20/month) after the first six months.
- Availability: The bundle is not available in certain areas subject to Starlink congestion pricing.
- Hardware Requirements: To use dynamic network switching, your device must support multiple active eSIMs.
AT&T recently launched OneConnect, a cellular and fiber bundle providing one mobile line and fiber internet for $90 per month. T-Mobile’s MVNO Mint Mobile countered with a wireless and 5G internet bundle starting at $45 per month.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
References:
https://www.phonearena.com/news/us-mobile-starlink_id179545
Direct-to-Device (D2D) satellite network comparison: Starlink V2 (Starlink Mobile) vs “Satellite Connect Europe”
Blue Origin announces TeraWave – satellite internet rival for Starlink and Amazon Leo
Amazon Leo (formerly Project Kuiper) unveils satellite broadband for enterprises; Competitive analysis with Starlink
Starlink doubles subscriber base; expands to to 42 new countries, territories & markets
Elon Musk: Starlink could become a global mobile carrier; 2 year timeframe for new smartphones
KDDI unveils AU Starlink direct-to-cell satellite service
GEO satellite internet from HughesNet and Viasat can’t compete with LEO Starlink in speed or latency
One thought on “US Mobile’s new bundle combines its multi-network mobile service with Starlink residential internet”
Leave a Reply
T-Mobile US -SpaceX/Starlink T-Satellite usage is low:
During T-Mobile US’s earnings call, CEO Srini Gopalan admitted that just under a year after its commercial launch, T-Satellite is experiencing lower-than-predicted usage. However, he put a very positive spin on the situation, insisting that the technology is doing exactly what it was designed for.
“Our partnership with SpaceX is very strong. We’ve worked closely with them to really invent an entire category, and that’s been putting an end to dead zones. We’re pleased with that,” Gopalan said.
“Most of the usage we’re seeing is in national parks and if anything, courtesy of the great network Dr Saw has built, we’re seeing a lot less usage than we were originally thinking,” he admitted, referring to Chief Technology Officer John Saw. “But it’s a great complementary product.”
LEO satellite-based direct-to-cell was always pitched as such. But it’s interesting to hear one of the operators in the vanguard of D2C say that it had expected more, even if the comment was heavily couched as a testament to the quality of its terrestrial network.
Last week Ookla shared data that showed that while the number of direct-to-device users is on the up globally as more operators launch services, the more mature markets, where telcos have started to bill for their offerings, are seeing a decline in usage. The analyst firm named the US and Canada in particular, where T-Mobile and another early-to-market operator Rogers both charge US$10 per month, or thereabouts for D2D.
Ookla added that there could be seasonal factors at play, such as reduced travelling in the winter months, which ties in with Gopalan’s comment on national parks being key usage hubs.
In the UK, where Starlink-powered O2 Satellite launched just two months ago, the number of users is relatively large – 11% of the global total, Ookla disclosed today – but actual usage is low. The service is, as it was pitched, “a fallback service that appears at the edge of terrestrial coverage,” Ookla said.
Network operators could well be as blasé about D2D usage as Gopalan appears to be. The service was always designed to be an add-on and its impact is hard to measure, given that it could well serve as a valuable customer attraction or stickiness tool for certain segments of the population.
https://www.telecoms.com/satellite/t-mobile-us-posts-strong-q1-but-satellite-usage-low