When you think of mobile carriers in the US, it is quite natural that the first bunch to come into your head will be the Big Three: Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile. After that, you might think of MVNOs. However, no shade to them, but unless you happen to use Xfinity Mobile or Spectrum Mobile, they won’t be the first out of most people’s mouths.
Perhaps that’s why it is rather surprising that a day after Verizon announced the launch of its satellite messaging service, Xfinity and Spectrum have done the same. It’s made even more interesting since T-Mobile has been testing its own take for quite some time. Let’s talk about the newest entrant to the satellite messaging club.
Both Xfinity Mobile and Spectrum Mobile Launch Satellite-Based Emergency Messaging
The way terrestrial cellular networks function means that you always need to be within range of a cell tower to be able to make calls or send text messages. We’ve been used to the system for decades, but the major downside is obvious. If there isn’t a cell tower anywhere near you, you simply won’t be able to use cellular services, and in some cases, that could mean a serious emergency gets even worse.
However, with the magic intervention of satellites, that problem can be solved. As long as you have a clear view of the sky, you can theoretically stay connected, even if there isn’t a cell tower remotely close to you. That’s exactly the reason why T-Mobile and AT&T have been partnering with satellite companies to provide direct-to-device satellite messaging support.
Just yesterday, Verizon announced the launch of its non-emergency satellite messaging, and now, both Xfinity Mobile and Spectrum Mobile have announced the launch of emergency satellite messaging through a partnership with Skylo. To be clear, Skylo is also Verizon’s partner. In this case, though, it will only support contacting emergency services, but non-emergency messaging is expected to join the arsenal in “the coming weeks.”
Only Specific Smartphones Support the Feature at the Moment
Just like with Verizon’s recently announced non-emergency satellite messaging, this won’t be available to every smartphone. You’ll only be able to use it on selected devices that have the necessary hardware built into them. In this case, it refers primarily to the Samsung Galaxy S25 and Google Pixel 9 lineups on the Android side of things. However, several Apple iPhone models already had support for this.
Forget 6G for a Second; Satellite Messaging Support Is the Current Trend
Network carriers love to be on the cutting edge when it comes to higher speed and lower latencies, and the next big landmark for that will be the advent of 6G. However, it seems the quest for that will be put on pause for a moment as mobile carriers push to support satellite services instead.
Verizon is on board with satellite text messaging, and Xfinity and Spectrum should be on the same level within a few weeks. Technically, T-Mobile has set the necessary groundwork in partnership with Starlink, though its program is still in the beta phase. AT&T might be the only brand that still needs to do a little more, but we know they’re working on it along with AST Spacemobile.
