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US approves Starlink to restore cellphone coverage in hurricane-affected North Carolina

economictimes.indiatimes.com — October 7, 2024, 04:01 AM UTC

Summary: The U.S. Federal Communications Commission has approved SpaceX and T-Mobile to use Starlink satellites for direct-to-cell coverage in North Carolina, following Hurricane Helene. This aims to restore cellphone service and provide emergency alerts as infrastructure is repaired.

Previously, over 74% of cell towers were out of service in affected areas. That number has now decreased to 17% as recovery efforts continue. SpaceX has started broadcasting emergency alerts and may test basic texting capabilities for T-Mobile users.

While the full constellation of Starlink satellites is not yet operational, the companies are moving forward to support connectivity in disaster-hit regions. T-Mobile plans to expand services to include voice and data in the future.

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Timeline:

  1. [5.0]
    T-Mobile and Starlink launch satellite texting service in Florida for hurricane response (engadget.com)
    6d 20h

    ScoresSource
  2. [5.0]
    SpaceX and T-Mobile launch emergency Direct-to-Cell coverage in Florida ahead of Hurricane Milton (benzinga.com)
    7d 0h

    ScoresSource
  3. [4.9]
    T-Mobile and Starlink launch text-by-satellite service in Florida (theverge.com)
    7d 6h
    Source
  4. [5.5]
    T-Mobile uses SpaceX Starlink satellites for emergency alerts in North Carolina (mobileworldlive.com)
    8d 19h

    ScoresSource
  5. [5.5]
    FCC approves SpaceX and T-Mobile to restore mobile service in hurricane-hit North Carolina (capacitymedia.com)
    8d 21h

    ScoresSource
  6. [5.3]
    FCC approves SpaceX and T-Mobile to provide satellite service for hurricane-affected areas (benzinga.com)
    9d 2h

    ScoresSource
  7. [5.2]
    US approves Starlink to provide emergency cell coverage in hurricane-affected North Carolina (gazette.com)
    9d 8h

    ScoresSource