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T-Mobile announced plans on Wednesday to roll out a beta version of its artificial intelligence-powered Live Translation service this spring, enabling real-time translation of phone calls into more than 50 languages.
The carrier said eligible customers can sign up for the beta program immediately through its website. Live Translation integrates directly into T-Mobile’s network, allowing users to communicate across language barriers without requiring specialized apps or hardware.
T-Mobile Chief Executive Srini Gopalan highlighted the initiative’s potential to overcome communication hurdles. “Some of the biggest barriers wireless customers face are the simplest ones, like being able to understand each other,” Gopalan said in a statement. “By bringing real-time AI directly into our network, we’re delivering more than connectivity, turning conversations into community, starting with Live Translation.”
The service operates seamlessly on T-Mobile’s 5G Advanced network but extends compatibility to 4G LTE connections as well. It relies on Voice over LTE technology to ensure reliability across various devices and conditions. T-Mobile President of Technology and Chief Technology Officer John Saw explained that the feature supports Voice over LTE, Voice over New Radio, and Voice over Wi-Fi protocols.
“The key requirement is a Voice over LTE connection, which allows the service to operate reliably across a wide range of devices and network conditions,” Saw told The Verge. “That flexibility is important because it ensures Live Translation works for customers wherever they’re, not just when they’re on the latest network technology.”
Beta testers can activate the translation during calls by dialing 87, with no extra charges applied during the testing phase. T-Mobile has not disclosed whether the feature will incur fees for broader rollout later this year. Starting later this spring, users will also be able to initiate it using the voice command “Hey T-Mobile.”
The translation functions solely during ongoing calls and does not retain any audio recordings or text transcripts for privacy reasons. “The service is designed to translate conversations in real time and then move on, without storing the content of those calls,” Saw added.
For more details, visit T-Mobile’s Live Translation page or check eligibility at the support site.
