Florida residents are getting a lifeline from Starlink and T-Mobile as the Federal Communications Commission has granted permission for their satellite texting service to be activated ahead of Hurricane Milton’s arrival. SpaceX announced that Starlink’s Direct to Cell satellites will provide emergency alerts to all phones and carriers in affected areas, not just limited to T-Mobile users. Additionally, basic texting services have been enabled for T-Mobile subscribers, allowing them to send and receive texts, including the ability to text 911 in case of emergencies even if they lose connection with the carrier during the storm.
SpaceX mentioned that Direct to Cell has been activated for Florida while also working on delivering over 10,000 Starlink kits in response to Hurricane Helene. Recently, the FCC authorized T-Mobile and Starlink to activate their Direct to Cell service for North Carolina after more than half of cell towers were knocked out by the hurricane.
Starlink’s innovative technology is providing crucial communication support during natural disasters like hurricanes by ensuring connectivity when traditional networks fail.
2024-10-09 05:00:13
Original article available at www.engadget.com
