Elon Musk Announces Partnership to end Cell Phone Dead Zones in the US

SpaceX and T-Mobile on Thursday announced Coverage Above and Beyond, a plan to end cellphone dead spots worldwide, via their partnership that will utilize Starlink, another of Elon Musk’s companies, to provide cell signal.

“T-Mobile CEO and President Mike Sievert and SpaceX Chief Engineer Elon Musk announced Coverage Above and Beyond: a breakthrough new plan to bring cell phone connectivity everywhere,” T-Mobile announced in a press release. “Leveraging Starlink, SpaceX’s constellation of satellites in low Earth orbit, and T-Mobile’s industry-leading wireless network, the Un-carrier plans to provide near complete coverage in most places in the U.S. – even in many of the most remote locations previously unreachable by traditional cell signals.”

“From the middle of Death Valley to the Great Smoky Mountains or even that persistent neighborhood dead zone, T-Mobile and SpaceX have a vision to give customers a crucial additional layer of connectivity in areas previously unreachable by cell signals from any provider,” the company continued. “And the service aims to work with the phone already in your pocket. “

The announcement, which was made at Starbase in Austin, Texas where SpaceX tests its rockets, is a first-of-its-kind partnership. 

“‘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,’ explained T-Mobile CEO Mike Sievert, adding, “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.”

Musk, who started Tesla, SpaceX, and Starlink, stated that the partnership is an exciting prospect and will be beneficial to cell phone users around the globe: “The important thing about this is that it means there are no dead zones anywhere in the world for your cell phone. We’re incredibly excited to do this with T-Mobile.”

ELON MUSK MOCKS BIDEN’S ‘INFLATION-REDUCTION ACT’ ON SOCIAL MEDIA, CLAIMS HE GETS AUDITED EVERY YEAR

The use of Starlink will allow T-Mobile to provide its customers with service even outside of its traditional coverage area: “With this technology, T-Mobile is planning to give customers text coverage practically everywhere in the continental US, Hawaii, parts of Alaska, Puerto Rico and territorial waters, even outside the signal of T-Mobile’s network starting with a beta in select areas by the end of next year after SpaceX’s planned satellite launches.”

Both Sievert and Musk also signaled that they will want to expand the project globally once the domestic program is rolled out with the press release stating, “the CEOs shared their vision for expanding Coverage Above and Beyond globally, issuing an open invitation to the world’s carriers to collaborate for truly global connectivity. T-Mobile committed to offer reciprocal roaming to those providers working with them to enable this vision.”

Musk has used SpaceX and Starlink to sign a partnership with other companies as well such as Hawaiian Airlines which will allow passengers to have free wifi, according to The Daily Wire. Additionally, Musk has also used Starlink for more philanthropic purposes with satellites being sent to Ukraine to assist in the war effort when internet communications were sparse.

Starlink has allowed the Ukrainian military to drop bombs on Russian positions using drones, maintain communications with encircled units and with the front lines, and allowed civilians to keep up to date on communications from Kyiv, according to Politico.

Musk’s innovation once again showcases the strength of the free market and how one man can change the world through inventiveness. The United States should be proud that such an innovator can develop here in America as a testament to American ingenuity.

You Can Follow Sterling on Twitter Here