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.
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.
Despite the service being inconsistent right now, it is a very promising concept and I cannot wait for the fully finished product!
CircuitSwitched, Reddit user, January 2025
They say that the satellite connection is maintained for only a few minutes and it takes between 5 to 10 minutes to reconnect. This might be because SpaceX has only completed the first constellation for the direct-to-cell service. The company had 400 cellular-capable satellites in orbit as of January 11 and it probably needs more to improve the quality of service. The company is already at it and plans to upgrade that constellation with second-generation satellites.
T-Mobile’s satellite service supports RCS but only text messages. | Image Credit – CircuitSwitched
It might also be that the software needs more polishing. Starlink’s satellites act like a cellphone tower in space. Similar to how a roaming agreement with a telecom company allows your carrier to ensure coverage in an area not covered by its network, Starlink satellites step in when there is no service. This similarity might be causing connectivity issues.
According to CircuitSwitched, when satellite connection is terminated, their phone attempts to connect to AT&T‘s network, even though T-Mobile doesn’t have roaming enabled in the area where they tested the service.
Either way, the service is unreliable right now, and not something you’d want to depend on in case of an emergency.
It also looks like the RCS is supported, but only for texting. This means that you can’t send media attachments right now, but they might be enabled after data service is added.
I do think the intermittent connection has something to do with how it connects to the constellation and either experiences a gap in the network, or has issues with the handoff to the next satellite.
iMessage seems to work as well, but like RCS no pictures.
I find it very convenient to receive the messages when the service does connect. I’ll just be hiking and will feel the notification come in like normal. Sending is frustrating because it doesn’t queue the message to send when it gets signal again. You have to wait for the signal before hitting send or connect to Apple’s satellite service to send the message.
Brico16, Reddit user, January 2025
Satellite messaging was never expected to be comparable to conventional texting. As SpaceX mentions on its websites, connecting smartphones to satellites is challenging due to various reasons, such as the fact that cell towers in a satellite network aren’t stationary.
