Improving Cell Reception Team Update
April 25, 2025, by Yuriy Chanba, Team Coordinator
T-Mobile/Starlink Developments
We are excited to provide some very important POSITIVE developments update regarding emergency communication capabilities in Oceanside and around.
As shared with you earlier, T-Mobile/Starlink launched beta "direct-to-cell" service at the end of December 2024. T-Mobile subscribers in the US were invited to sign up as beta users.
We are happy to report that two members of our "Improving Cell Reception" team and one OAP Board Member were selected to be the beta testers. Over the last 4 months we have had many opportunities to test the service in and around Oceanside. We are even happier to report that the service works as advertised! T-Mobile advises to have a clear view of sky to ensure satellite connectivity, but in our testing, our phones were connecting to the satellites even from inside of the Oceanside Community Club building. Once a handset is out of cell coverage/Wi-Fi network, connection to a satellite is established automatically with no user inputs whatsoever, and unlike Apple satellite texting, no pointing one's phone to the sky is required.
What was even more exciting - T-Mobile opened beta trial to customers of ANY carrier to try this service for free until July of this year. It then will offer the service at $20/mo per line. T-Mobile customers will be able to sign up in July for $15/mo per line (some premium plans include this option at no cost), and the beta testers - $10/mo per line.
One of the most serious concerns Oceansiders have - inability to receive emergency alert messages while outside of cell signal/Wi-Fi network coverage. Starlink eliminated this concern by introducing Satellite-based WEA (Wireless Emergency Alert) service, which, as we understand at this point, will be free to any cell phone subscriber even once the paid "direct-to-cell" service is launched in July.
To read more (and to check if you still can sign up for a free beta trial), please follow this link:
https://www.t-mobile.com/news/network/t-mobile-starlink-beta-open-for-all-carriers
Cell Tower (Quick!) Update
Cell tower operating company and the landowner conducted meetings; lease terms for the tower construction site are being negotiated and finalized.
Our team is in communications with and standing by to support all parties involved with whatever assistance they might require.
