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SpaceX’s cellular Starlink service delivered "hundreds of thousands" of text messages to help hurricane victims, according to T-Mobile's CEO.
"During the hurricanes, we were able to test with a temporary authorization and saw hundreds of thousands of successfully completed text messages to people that otherwise wouldn’t have seen them,” Mike Sievert said in an earnings call on Wednesday.
Sievert made the comment while discussing Starlink's direct-to-cell satellite service. Earlier this month, SpaceX received temporary clearance from the FCC to use its orbiting satellites to beam emergency alerts to residents of areas hit by Hurricanes Helene and Milton. In addition, SpaceX received emergency authority to offer satellite-based SMS text messaging to T-Mobile customers in the hurricane-affected zones.
Sievert didn't go into details. But his comment offers a glimpse at how the cellular Starlink technology could help T-Mobile and other carriers fill a gap in their coverage, especially when a disaster strikes. T-Mobile is partnering with SpaceX on the upcoming service, which is scheduled to launch in late 2024 or early 2025 as a beta.
Initially, the cellular Starlink service will be restricted to text messaging. But SpaceX plans on expanding its capabilities to support voice calls and internet data, with the company’s earlier tests showing it can power download rates at around 14Mbps.
However, SpaceX still needs to secure full approval from the FCC before it can commercially operate the cellular Starlink service in the US. The other issue is that SpaceX is urging the commission to loosen regulations on radio emissions for the cellular Starlink satellites, or the technology risks losing the ability to power real-time calling, the company says.
Sievert was asked about the regulatory challenges facing the cellular Starlink service when rivals AT&T and Verizon are raising concerns about radio interference from the technology. "On the direct-to-cell, no, we don’t really see any barriers to progress there. We’re very much looking forward to getting our beta underway," he said.
In the meantime, SpaceX has filed to extend its emergency authority with the FCC to use the cellular Starlink system in hurricane-affected areas for another 15 days. However, according to the commission's own reports, the vast majority of cell towers in Florida, North Carolina, and Tennessee have already been restored.