The three major wireless providers in the United States are teaming up to eliminate coverage dead zones. AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile are forming a joint venture that will involve satellites, although the announcement was sketchy.
America’s top three competing carriers team up for satellite cellular coverage
AT&T says the “joint venture (JV) will accelerate U.S. leadership in next-generation direct-to-device (D2D) communications using satellite technologies to fill coverage gaps, particularly in unserved and underserved communities.”
The announcement goes on to say that the joint venture will “expand customer choice by bringing together IP and terrestrial spectrum and creating industry specifications to enable a more seamless experience for customers and satellite operators.”
The initiative specifically targets rural and underserved areas of the country. The three companies, however, have not officially reached an agreement to work together.
The press release states that the joint venture “remains subject to the negotiation of definitive agreements between the parties and the satisfaction of customary closing conditions.”
The announcement ends by clarifying that existing carrier-satellite agreements will not be affected by the joint venture. You can read the announcement in full here.
So far, we’ve seen T-Mobile partner with SpaceX to offer customers the Starlink-powered T-Satellite service. T-Mobile satellite connectivity is also offered to AT&T and Verizon subscribers. Starlink also offers direct-to-cell service.
Earlier this week, the U.S. Federal Communications Commission approved the sale of EchoStar spectrum to AT&T and SpaceX for $40 billion.
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