AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon are teaming up to tackle dead zones

We’re required to nail our colors to the mast when it comes to our carrier, but when you’re off grid and struggling to get any reception, you probably don’t care which provider helps you get connected. For all the talk of nationwide coverage, dead zones are still very much a thing, and now AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon are planning a rare team-up to tackle the issue.

The three biggest US carriers have announced an agreement in principle to form a new joint venture focused on direct-to-device satellite connectivity. The aim is to make it easier for your phone to stay connected in places where traditional cell towers don’t reach, especially rural and underserved parts of the US.

According to Verizon’s announcement, the joint venture would pool limited spectrum resources and create a unified platform to help satellite providers reach more customers. The companies say that should improve capacity and give customers a simpler experience when regular mobile networks aren’t available. If it goes to plan, the goal will be to “nearly eliminate” dead zones in the US, reach previously unserved and underserved areas, and provide backup connectivity during emergencies or natural disasters when ground-based networks are unavailable.

On the industry side, the joint venture would create common technical specifications and support wider device compatibility involving OS providers, app developers, and device makers. Existing carrier-satellite agreements will stay in place, so this doesn’t appear to replace the carriers’ separate satellite efforts.

Before we start doffing our caps to the big three, let’s bear in mind that this is still only an agreement in principle — it’s not guaranteed to happen, and there’s no time frame yet if it does. Still, if AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon can put their differences aside for the good of those who need signal most, then they will deserve some credit.