T-Mobile SpaceX LTE Initial Impressions

I was accepted into the beta using my Galaxy S24 Ultra and thought I’d share my experience thus far.

It is definitely not ready for prime time.

So far my phone is only connecting to it for a few minutes at a time and then will lose satellite signal for 5-10 minutes before reconnecting.

I’m unsure if this is due to not enough satellites in the constellation for continuous coverage or if it has to do with parameters, used for deciding which network to connect to.

When a loss of satellite occurs, I can see in the field test mode that it is attempting to connect to AT&T LTE, even though T-Mobile does not have roaming enabled in this area.

While this is a very promising technology and I’m sure will improve with time, it is definitely not something I would rely on for emergencies.

It also appears that RCS texting works over the service, however, they have blocked all other data, including sending pictures over RCS. So it is text only RCS.

From what I understand, they do plan on enabling data at a later time.

Despite the service being inconsistent right now, it is a very promising concept and I cannot wait for the fully finished product!