The satellite-to-phone service T-Mobile and Starlink first announced back in 2022 has gotten a lot closer to deployment. As SpaceNews and Reuters report, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has granted the companies conditional approval to provide T-Mobile subscribers coverage using Starlink satellites in locations that can't be reached by the carrier's network.

Starlink received approval to provide Supplemental Coverage from Space (SCS) within the United States. This means that in areas not covered by terrestrial cellular networks, Starlink satellites can provide service to cell phones.

Using satellites as a backup for cell service, and providing coverage in areas where traditional service doesn't cover, just took a big step forward.