SpaceX‘s Starlink team and T-Mobile US Inc. TMUS have activated their Direct-to-Cell coverage to provide emergency alerts for all phones and telecommunications carriers in areas affected by Hurricane Helene as well as Florida ahead of Hurricane Milton, the company said on Tuesday.
What Happened: The satellites will allow those in hurricane-affected areas to send text messages to their near and dear ones, contact 911, or receive emergency alerts.
When connected to a Starlink satellite, the phone will show “T-Mobile SpaceX” in the network name and have one or two bars of signal, the company said. However, messages might not go through on the first try and might require users to retry, the company said while adding that the service is being delivered on a best-effort basis.
“The service works best outdoors, and occasionally works indoors near a window,” the company added.
The company has also received the Federal Communication Commission‘s (FCC) approval to provide coverage in Florida ahead of Hurricane Milton in addition to areas already impacted by Hurricane Helene, the company said.
Hurricane Milton is now approaching Florida's west coast. It is expected to make landfall late Wednesday near Tampa as a Category 3 storm before moving toward the Atlantic Ocean.
"Evacuations and other preparations should be completed tonight. Milton has the potential to be one of the most destructive hurricanes on record for west-central Florida," the National Hurricane Center said on Tuesday while also warning of devastating hurricane-force winds and heavy rainfall.
“Thank you to the FCC for the rapid approval enabling this capability which is so critical to helping those that have been impacted by Hurricane Helene or are in the path of Hurricane Milton,” SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell wrote on X on Tuesday.
The company President also said that emergency alerts including evacuation notices and other messages have already been sent through the Starlink network.
Starlink kits have been part of the efforts to restore connectivity in regions impacted by Hurricane Helene. SpaceX said on Tuesday that it is delivering over 10,000 Starlink kits in response to the hurricane.
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Photo courtesy: SpaceX
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