When Hurricane Helen hit the coast of North Carolina last week, a new communication technology came to the rescue – directly connecting smartphones to Starlink satellites. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has granted temporary permission to SpaceX and T-Mobile to provide emergency communications services.
Image source: starlink.com
Based on this permission, SpaceX was able to use radio frequencies leased from T-Mobile to provide the operator’s subscribers with “additional coverage from space” using Starlink satellites. SpaceX, however, warned that communication quality will be “the best possible,” but not ideal, because the constellation of devices has not yet been fully deployed.
Even this can be an invaluable service for those who were left without mobile phone service after the hurricane. SpaceX was able to send emergency alerts to T-Mobile subscribers, as well as provide them with the ability to exchange text messages. The satellite operator has been developing satellites with the ability to directly connect unmodified phones for several years and began launching them into orbit earlier this year. Full mobile communications capabilities will appear a little later – for T-Mobile, this partnership project will provide the opportunity to provide coverage in areas where terrestrial networks are not deployed. A text messaging feature can make a big difference in the chaos of a hurricane.
Outside the US, SpaceX has entered into similar partnerships with mobile operators Optus, Rogers, KDDI, Salt and Entel, but launch dates and terms of service have not yet been announced.