T-Mobile has quietly removed the Starlink name from its website for T-Satellite, just as the company formally established a joint venture that could foster other satellite competitors.
On Thursday, we noticed that the official T-Satellite site had scrubbed “with Starlink” from the logo and introductory statement. It also doesn’t mention SpaceX or Starlink Mobile, the name Elon Musk’s company uses for its direct-to-cell service.
Coincidentally, T-Mobile, AT&T, and Verizon this week launched the joint venture they announced in May to pool their radio spectrum to support satellite services for phones.
T-Mobile, SpaceX’s exclusive partner for its satellite-to-phone service in the US, hasn’t said why Starlink was removed from its T-Satellite site. But Starlink still features prominently on a support page and a site advertising the service for business use.
Still, T-Mobile executives have made some eyebrow-raising statements recently about T-Satellite and SpaceX; the latter has signaled that it plans to use next-generation satellites to eventually compete with the big three carriers in the US.
(Credit: Angel Garcia/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
For example, T-Mobile CEO Srini Gopalan has repeatedly emphasized satellite as a “complementary” service and that T-Satellite isn’t getting as much use as anticipated.
Thursday’s announcement about the joint venture also says: “Through combined investment by the three JV partners, provider options will expand, and, as a first step, direct-to-device (D2D) access will improve. This will enhance competition as consumer choices grow in satellite service.”
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T-Mobile’s alliance with AT&T and Verizon has been seen as a counter to SpaceX that could support competitors, such as AST SpaceMobile and Amazon-Globalstar, which are also working on satellite connectivity for consumer phones, giving carriers a way to fill cellular dead zones.
That said, the joint venture notes “existing carrier-satellite agreements will remain in place and the JV partners can continue connectivity efforts independently.” So it’s possible that T-Mobile could continue to rely on SpaceX for T-Satellite. T-Mobile’s CEO has also confirmed that its exclusivity period for Starlink Mobile in the US doesn’t end this year. Other carriers, including Boost Mobile and US Mobile, plan on offering Starlink Mobile as well.
T-Mobile isn’t alone in dropping the Starlink mention. Last year, Canadian carrier Rogers Communications also partnered with SpaceX to launch cellular Starlink. But it, too, refrained from mentioning Starlink or SpaceX, possibly to sidestep potential backlash amid ongoing tensions between Canada and President Trump, who has worked closely with Musk.
About Our Expert
Michael Kan
Principal Reporter
Experience
I’ve been a journalist for over 15 years. I got my start as a schools and cities reporter in Kansas City and joined PCMag in 2017, where I cover satellite internet services, cybersecurity, PC hardware, and more. I’m currently based in San Francisco, but previously spent over five years in China, covering the country’s technology sector.
Since 2020, I’ve covered the launch and explosive growth of SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet service, writing 600+ stories on availability and feature launches, but also the regulatory battles over the expansion of satellite constellations, fights with rival providers like AST SpaceMobile and Amazon, and the effort to expand into satellite-based mobile service. I’ve combed through FCC filings for the latest news and driven to remote corners of California to test Starlink’s cellular service.
I also cover cyber threats, from ransomware gangs to the emergence of AI-based malware. In 2024 and 2025, the FTC forced Avast to pay consumers $16.5 million for secretly harvesting and selling their personal information to third-party clients, as revealed in my joint investigation with Motherboard.
I also cover the PC graphics card market. Pandemic-era shortages led me to camp out in front of a Best Buy to get an RTX 3000. I’m now following how the AI-driven memory shortage is impacting the entire consumer electronics market. I’m always eager to learn more, so please jump in the comments with feedback and send me tips.
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