Los Angeles, CA is still facing the destructive and disastrous effects of wildfires, particularly as the county’s problem is yet ongoing, but many relief efforts are extending their help to the victims, and this includes Starlink and T-Mobile. While others focused on extending monetary and in-kind donations to the victims, the partnership of Starlink and T-Mobile shared the Direct-to-Cell technology for residents to utilize.
This technology offers a satellite-to-phone connection for the victims of the natural disaster, with the residents given a chance to send text messages to first responders and family members to give knowledge of their statuses and whereabouts.
Starlink, T-Mobile Direct-to-Cell Access Given to LA Wildfire Victims
Android Central reported that Starlink and T-Mobile announced that they are turning on their Direct-to-Cell feature for T-Mobile subscribers in the Los Angeles area, around Southern California. It is a temporary deployment of their latest satellite-to-phone service that will allow select Android smartphones to connect to the service to use as an emergency SOS feature or utilize its SMS service.
The technology was set to undergo a beta testing phase this early 2025 in various parts of the country, but the recent blaze in the City of Angels prompted the companies to share their technology earlier than expected.
The Los Angeles wildfires are still ongoing, and firefighters all around the county are struggling to contain the flames ravaging the area, with the death toll rising and destroyed structures piling up.
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Terrestrial Networks Are Gone in LA, Satellite is a Massive Help
Because of the wildfire that struck Los Angeles, terrestrial networks were lost and left many who fell victim to the recent incident without a way to contact emergency services in the country. That being said, this emergency response by SpaceX and T-Mobile is set to deliver massive help using the satellites, but Starlink’s Direct-to-Cell constellation is not yet fully deployed as per the company.
Starlink’s Satellite Tech During Times of Need
Starlink envisioned delivering satellite connectivity for smartphones, and this does not need any special component or technology for it to work on mobile devices as users simply have to be subscribers. Back in 2024, the FCC gave Starlink and T-Mobile their much-needed temporary approval to make the satellite-to-phone service live and help the victims of Hurricane Helene contact emergency personnel or their loved ones.
Not only that, Elon Musk previously announced last year that they have tweaked the system of their Starlink satellite to provide internet connections to the afflicted area of the recent hurricane. According to Musk, the payment would not matter during this time as they are looking to help those in need to connect to the internet and use this opportunity to share massive updates and contact the authorities.
Over the past years, Starlink gave the world access to its satellites as part of their connectivity services for all, and it already gave the world massive access to the wireless network, available in different parts of the globe. Now, Starlink and T-Mobile are giving their subscribers to take advantage of satellite texting capabilities for contacting the authorities or letting their loved ones know of their situation, to help during this devastating time.
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