Sure, you can sign up with an MVNO, but these still operate on the aforementioned Big 3's networks. This smells like monopoly.
What happened to the diversity push? This wasn't the future we were promised. The 1950s hoped we would have flying cars by the 2000s; thank God we don't have those around, as the mid-air collisions would be off the charts. We're struggling with left and right on the road as it is.
But we have the internet at our fingertips. While in some cases they do more harm than car debris falling from the sky, our smartphones keep us connected and make us feel really… smart.
How about some change
The satellite way. | Image by T-Mobile
I want something to shake up this current telco industry of ours. I don't necessarily want another carrier like the ones we have (at home). Instead, I dream of a wholly different kind of carrier—one that forces T-Mobile, AT&T and Verizon to wake in the middle of the night and change their (sweat-soaked) bedsheets.
Starlink is the obvious candidate. Imagine a true satellite-based wireless carrier that doesn't need thousands of traditional cell towers to provide coverage. This is a major selling point, by the way: "Sign up with us and you won't see those pesky cell towers near your home!"
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Of course, the practicality is what would be most alluring: one could theoretically take their phone anywhere and connect directly to a satellite.
T-Mobile CFO Peter Osvaldik recently explained why satellite-to-phone technology, or direct-to-device (D2D), still can't replace a conventional cellular network. The problem starts with physics. A satellite in low Earth orbit can be hundreds of miles above you, while a cell tower might be only a few hundred feet away. The farther a radio signal has to travel, the weaker it becomes.
Then you have buildings, cars, trees and everything else standing between your phone and the satellite. Your phone already struggles inside an elevator with a normal cell signal; imagine asking a satellite hundreds of kilometers away to load that TikTok video of a talking cat through a roof, several walls and your car.
That's why Starlink's current smartphone connectivity is much better suited to texts, emergency communications and occasional data than replacing your everyday cellular connection.
The "for now" clause
Let's pray for a major scientific breakthrough. If someone figures out how to improve satellite signal strength dramatically, spectrum efficiency or beam capacity, suddenly the limitations that keep satellites in a supporting role could start disappearing.
I don't hold too big of a grudge against cell towers, but competition is good for customers.
T-Mobile isn't what it used to be
Remember what T-Mobile used to be? Between 2012 and 2020, the company made "disruptive" its official mascot. John Legere turned the struggling carrier into the Un-carrier, killed off two-year contracts, introduced customer perks and relentlessly mocked AT&T and Verizon.
That T-Mobile is almost no more today, folks. The company has now moved to 36-month device financing, following AT&T and Verizon, and one industry representative basically summed up the change with "RIP Un-carrier officially". T-Mobile is also becoming more digital, with store closures and job cuts while more customer interactions move into its T-Life app.
Fear is good
I don't need Starlink to destroy T-Mobile, AT&T or Verizon… I just want it to scare them a little.
Give me a (satellite) carrier that can offer reliable nationwide service without depending on the same traditional infrastructure and suddenly the Big 3 have something they can't simply copy by launching another plan.
If (when) science finds a way, I'll be sitting in the front row with popcorn. Because watching T-Mobile, AT&T and Verizon compete against something extraterrestrial would be one hell of a show. Of course, Starlink would probably end up just like them, but until it does, it'll be fun.
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$90
$210
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Sebastian is one of PhoneArena’s senior opinionators. A veteran news writer with almost 20 years of experience in media and technology, he not only covers all the hot news about Galaxies and iPhones, but often provides hot takes on industry trends. He’s fascinated with camera-focused flagships from the likes of Oppo and Vivo, as well as foldable phones.
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