The FCC often grants these types of temporary emergency approvals during disasters to help restore wireless and Internet services to severely affected areas and to allow for testing.
An FCC spokesperson said Sunday that the agency remains “committed to assisting with recovery efforts in states affected by Hurricane Helene. We stand ready to do whatever is necessary to return connectivity to the hardest-hit areas and save lives”.
SpaceX said the satellites “have now been enabled and have begun transmitting emergency alerts to cell phones across North Carolina networks.” The company said it can “test basic text messaging (SMS) capabilities for most cell phones in the T-Mobile network in North Carolina.”
On September 28, more than 74% of cell phone towers were out of service in disaster-affected areas of North Carolina due to the devastation caused by Helene. The FCC said 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 feel that putting even this early test version in the hands of people on the ground could provide vital support as teams work to bring the infrastructure and services and assist first responders with rescue efforts,” T Mobile said on Sunday.
Discover the stories of your interest
The company added that its “network is almost fully restored in affected regions, with less than 1% of network sites in specific areas where conditions remain particularly difficult not connected.” FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr said “the focus is on allowing emergency alerts on smartphones.”
Carr added that “it’s important to manage expectations here. Starlink doesn’t yet have a full constellation of direct-to-cell satellites in space…Starlink is giving it a shot anyway to help address the dire need for connectivity in these areas of disaster.”
T Mobile said in January that SpaceX had launched a Falcon 9 rocket carrying the first set of Starlink satellites that can transmit phone signals from space directly to smartphones. The companies announced plans to give mobile users access to the network in parts of the United States in August 2022. T Mobile said at the time that direct-to-cellular service would begin with text messaging followed by voice and data capabilities in the next few years. .
Disclaimer:
The information contained in this post is for general information purposes only. We make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability or availability with respect to the website or the information, products, services, or related graphics contained on the post for any purpose.
We respect the intellectual property rights of content creators. If you are the owner of any material featured on our website and have concerns about its use, please contact us. We are committed to addressing any copyright issues promptly and will remove any material within 2 days of receiving a request from the rightful owner.