Starlink’s direct-to-cell satellite service approved for areas hit by Hurricane Helene

The Federal Communications Commission has given SpaceX and T-Mobile temporary approval for direct-to-cell service using Starlink satellites in areas affected by Hurricane Helene,

SpaceX:

The satellites have already been enabled and started broadcasting emergency alerts to cell phones on all networks in North Carolina. In addition, we may test basic texting (SMS) capabilities for most cell phones on the T-Mobile network in North Carolina.

SpaceX’s direct-to-cell constellation has not been fully deployed, so all services will be delivered on a best-effort basis.

The massive flooding from Hurricane Helene created swaths of “blackout zones,” particularly in North Carolina, and communications continue to be heavily impacted throughout the southeast region of the US. Charts published by the FCC in recent days show that while the situation has been improved, there remain significant outages in some areas.

SpaceX and T-Mobile’s first direct-to-cell satellites launched in January, but there has been opposition from companies like AT&T and Verizon. They complained to the FCC that the satellites’ signals may interfere with their cellular networks.