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From: Frank Slootweg <this@ddress.is.invalid>
Newsgroups: misc.phone.mobile.iphone,comp.mobile.android
Subject: Re: T-Mobile opens satellite communications to Android, iOS, AT&E & Verizon
Date: 11 Feb 2025 20:09:54 GMT
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Carlos E.R. <robin_listas@es.invalid> wrote:
> On 2025-02-11 19:25, micky wrote:
> > In comp.mobile.android, on Mon, 10 Feb 2025 04:05:51 -0000 (UTC), Marion
> > <marion@facts.com> wrote:
> > 
> >> T-Mobile opens satellite communications to Android, iOS, AT&E & Verizon
> >> https://www.cnet.com/tech/mobile/t-mobile-opens-up-its-starlink-beta-including-to-people-with-att-and-verizon/
> >>
> >> "As part of the beta, people in the program will be able
> >>   to send SMS text messages when they're outdoors, even in
> >>   areas where they don't normally get T-Mobile's terrestrial
> >>   coverage. The beta service will be free and open to all
> >>   T-Mobile postpaid users until July, with the carrier also
> >>   making it available for free during this time to AT&T
> >>   and Verizon customers."
> >>
> >> The article discusses how Verizon advertises things it can't do, where it
> >> doesn't mention that Apple is infamous for advertising what doesn't exist.
> > 
> > Well that would be tasteless.
> >>
> >> "In emergency situations, the company may make the service
> >>   available to all, regardless of plan"
> > 
> > That may be nice if they may do it.
> > 
> > If I hiked in the wilderness, or if I lived in the wilderness, this
> > would be nice to have.  But don't you need a phone with a more powerful
> > transmitter to get all the way up in the sky?
> 
> Depends on how high those satellites are. They could be "just" 400 Km away.

  Indeed, with line-of-sight mobile phones can cover quite large
distances.

  Case in point: Several years ago, we traveled in a small mail plane,
from Port Augusta to Birdsville in Australia. While there are no towers
for about 500km of that distance, the pilot had absolutely no problem
using his (normal) mobile phone during the flight.

  Because of the distances, Australia's main network operator (Telstra)
uses relatively low frequencies (850 MHz for 3G and 700 MHz for 4G), but
that's not the only explanation of this wide in-the-air coverage.

  OTOH, I assume that the transmitters in satellites have much less
power than towers on the earth surface, so I don't know what distances
would be achievable for (normal) phone to satellite communication.