US lets Starlink provide direct-to-cell coverage for hurricane-hit areas

Date:

Share post:


By David Shepardson

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. Federal Communications Commission on Sunday allowed Elon Musk’s SpaceX and T Mobile to enable Starlink satellites with direct-to-cell capability to provide coverage for cellphones in areas of North Carolina hard-hit by Hurricane Helene.

The FCC often grants such emergency temporary approvals during disasters to help restore wireless and internet services in badly impacted areas and to allow for testing.

An FCC spokesperson said on Sunday that the agency remains “committed to helping with recovery efforts in states affected by Hurricane Helene. We stand ready to do all that is necessary to return connectivity to hard-hit areas and save lives.”

SpaceX said the satellites “have already been enabled and started broadcasting emergency alerts to cellphones on all networks in North Carolina.” The company said it may “test basic texting (SMS) capabilities for most cell phones on the T-Mobile network in North Carolina.”

On Sept. 28, more than 74% of cell towers were out of service in disaster-impacted areas of North Carolina due to the devastation caused by Helene. The FCC said on Sunday that figure has fallen to 17% as crews work to restore service.

“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 said on Sunday.

The company added that its “network is almost fully restored along affected regions, with less than 1% of network sites in specific areas where conditions remain particularly challenging not connected.”

FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr said that “the focus is on enabling emergency alerts to smartphones.”

Carr added that “it is important to manage expectations here. Starlink does not have a full constellation of direct-to-cell satellites in space yet. … Starlink is giving this a shot nonetheless to help address the serious need for connectivity in these disaster areas.”

T Mobile said in January that SpaceX had launched a Falcon 9 rocket with the first set of Starlink satellites that can beam phone signals from space directly to smartphones. The companies announced plans to provide mobile users with network access in parts of the United States in August 2022. T Mobile said at the time that the direct-to-cell service would begin with text messaging followed by voice and data capabilities in the coming years.

(Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Will Dunham)



Source link

Alexandra Williams
Alexandra Williams
Alexandra Williams is a writer and editor. Angeles. She writes about politics, art, and culture for LinkDaddy News.

Recent posts

Related articles

'God save the Tsar!': Putin receives first wishes for 72nd birthday

(Reuters) - "God save the Tsar!" was one of the first public birthday wishes for President Vladimir...

Hezbollah rockets hit Israel's Haifa, 10 injured

JERUSALEM (Reuters) -Hezbollah rockets hit Haifa, Israel's third-largest city, Israeli police said early on Monday, and Israeli...

Forgive Me, I'm Still Laughing At The 17 Funniest Signs Of The Week

Let's get right to it. Here are the funniest signs of the week, courtesy of Twitter and...

I'm Sorry, But I Died Laughing At These 22 Job Tweets From Last Week

Well, it's almost time for another work week — but first, here are some funny job tweets...

Iran is increasingly desperate, retired US general says

Iran is driven by desperation in its current conduct, the former commander of American forces in the...

Israel obstructing search for Hezbollah's Safieddine, Hezbollah official says

BEIRUT (Reuters) -Israel is obstructing search and rescue efforts in an area where senior Hezbollah leader Hashem...

Elon Musk's Unhinged Appearance At Trump Rally Gets Mocked In Memes

Elon Musk is getting roasted for his over-the-top appearance at Donald Trump’s campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania,...

Hezbollah members were likely holding pagers with both hands when they exploded due to a dark feature: report

Thousands of electronic devices used by Hezbollah fighters detonated across Lebanon last month.Israel has not confirmed its...