T-Mobile and Starlink are teaming up to provide satellite-based cell reception during emergencies like Hurricane Milton. The direct-to-cell network activation provides emergency communication well before it was planned to be ready for launch.

Starlink is being used to provide wireless emergency alerts to cell phones from all carriers in North Carolina, according to Ben Longmier, senior director of satellite engineering for SpaceX. "We are also closely monitoring Hurricane Milton and standing by ready to take action in Florida," he wrote.

Elon Musk’s space-based internet satellites got special permission to act as cell phone towers in the sky, connecting people in blacked-out areas of North Carolina as they begin post-storm recovery efforts.

Cell phone users across Florida have complained of network slowdowns or outages in the aftermath of Hurricane Milton.

Right now, in areas where Hurricanes Helene and Milton have ravaged wireless phone towers, people can still receive emergency information and even send text messages to friends and families, thanks to new technologies that let standard smartphones send data to satellites functioning as orbiting cell towers.

The approval allows SpaceX to use radio frequencies leased from T-Mobile to provide what's called "Supplemental Coverage from Space" beamed from Starlink's low-Earth orbit satellite constellation.

SpaceX's Starlink service and T-Mobile have been granted temporary emergency capabilities to give those affected by the storm access to mobile coverage via satellites.

To support recovery efforts in areas devastated by Hurricane Helene, SpaceX, and T-Mobile have temporarily deployed Starlink Cellular, providing emergency alerts and limited texting services. The Federal