The Los Angeles wildfires have been devastating for a lot of families and businesses, destroying thousands of structures and displacing numerous people. A side effect of the damage is that connectivity can be limited or non-existent due to loss of power or damages.
While T-Mobile’s partnership with Starlink to roll out a direct-to-cell satellite service is still in early stages, opening beta signups earlier this month, it has been rolled out for emergencies such as Hurricane Helene back in September. Now, the companies are also flipping the switch for those affected by these wildfires.
T-Mobile and SpaceX have announced the activation of Starlink satellite coverage to provide crucial connectivity to those in need. The wireless carrier stated Thursday evening that they have enabled T-Mobile Starlink direct-to-cell service over affected regions in Southern California, delivering wireless emergency alerts, SMS, and 911 texting capabilities.
T-Mobile told CNET that “while SpaceX’s direct-to-cell constellation has not been fully deployed, we are once again temporarily making this early test version available for those who need it most.”
Texting over satellite will be available to T-Mobile users with supported phones, which include “most” Android phones and iPhones older than the iPhone 14 series. It should be noted that wireless emergency alerts and evacuation notices can be transmitted via satellite to anyone in the affected areas, regardless of their carrier.
The service works just like a regular cell tower, but in space. Users with compatible devices do not need to make any changes to their devices to enable the service.
It’s important to clarify that this service utilizes traditional SMS messaging through the phone’s native messaging app, and will not function with internet-based messaging platforms like iMessage, WhatsApp, or Facebook Messenger. iPhone users with an iPhone 14 or later running iOS 18 can, however, utilize Apple’s separate satellite service through Globalstar to send iMessages in areas without cellular coverage.
T-Mobile has also stepped up to help with relief supplies, charging points, and more at various locations in California.
