Mobile Carriers Join Forces to Boost Coverage in Dead Zones

AT&T Inc., T-Mobile US Inc. and Verizon Communications Inc. announced a rare joint venture Thursday that aims to make satellite capabilities more widely available to mobile phone customers.

The three dominant US carriers agreed to pool their satellite partnerships and spectrum resources to better integrate supplementary service into terrestrial mobile networks. The initiative will ultimately give customers wireless access when they’re off the grid, or in so-called dead zones, where cell networks have limited or no service.