Washington: The U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) granted approval on Sunday for Elon Musk’s SpaceX and T-Mobile to enable Starlink satellites with direct-to-cell capability, allowing coverage for cellphones in areas of North Carolina severely impacted by Hurricane Helene. This emergency measure is part of the FCC’s ongoing commitment to restoring wireless and internet services during disasters and facilitating necessary testing.
An FCC spokesperson emphasized the agency’s dedication to recovery efforts, stating, “We stand ready to do all that is necessary to return connectivity to hard-hit areas and save lives.” In response, SpaceX announced that the satellites “have already been enabled and started broadcasting emergency alerts to cellphones on all networks in North Carolina.” The company is also planning to “test basic texting (SMS) capabilities for most cell phones on the T-Mobile network in North Carolina.”
Following Hurricane Helene’s devastation, more than 74% of cell towers were out of service in affected areas on September 28. However, the FCC reported that this figure has since decreased to 17% as restoration efforts continue. “While SpaceX’s direct-to-cell constellation has not been fully deployed, we felt that getting even this early test version into the hands of people on the ground could provide vital support as teams work to get infrastructure and services back online and help first responders with rescue efforts,” T-Mobile stated.
Also Read | Vice President Harris Responds to Sanders’ Remarks on Childlessness with a Powerful Message
The company further noted that its network is “almost fully restored” in the impacted regions, with less than 1% of network sites in specific areas still struggling with connectivity issues. FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr highlighted that “the focus is on enabling emergency alerts to smartphones,” while also managing expectations about the limitations of the service. He clarified, “Starlink does not have a full constellation of direct-to-cell satellites in space yet,” but acknowledged the urgency of connectivity in disaster-stricken areas.
T-Mobile revealed in January that SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 rocket carrying the first set of Starlink satellites capable of beaming phone signals from space directly to smartphones. The partnership was initially announced in August 2022, with plans to roll out mobile network access to parts of the United States, starting with text messaging services followed by voice and data capabilities in the future.
