Starlink granted emergency special temporary authority to provide cell service in areas devastated by Hurricane Helene

The FCC has granted Elon Musk’s Starlink “special temporary emergency authority” to provide cell phone coverage for areas devastated by Hurricane Helene. Starlink satellites will be able to provide direct-to-cell capability for those in the area.

“SpaceX and @TMobile have been given emergency special temporary authority by the @FCC to enable @Starlink satellites with direct-to-cell capability to provide coverage for cell phones in the affected areas of Hurricane Helene,” SpaceX posted. “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.”

Musk has been severely critical of the Biden-Harris administration’s response to the victims of Hurricane Helene, particularly in the mountainous region of western North Carolina. He has posted several times about the difficulties that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has posed to residents in the area even as it trumpets its top objective as being “equity.”

“Just received this note from a SpaceX engineer helping on the ground in North Carolina. @FEMA is not merely failing to adequately help people in trouble, but is actively blocking citizens who try to help! ‘Hey Elon, update here on site of Asheville, NC. We have powered up two large operating bases for choppers to deliver goods into hands. We’ve deployed 300+ starlinks and outpour is it has saved many lives.’”

NMusk responded to the disaster by providing Starlink equipment to enable people to get into contact with the outside world. On Friday, Musk referred to the “belligerent government incompetence” that was impeding rescue and recovery efforts.

Musk was a special guest at former President Donald Trump’s Sunday rally as he returned to Butler, PA where he almost killed by an assassin’s bullet on July 13. The billionaire entrepreneur encouraged everyone “to register to vote right now.”

"The other side wants to take away your freedom of speech. They want to take away your right to bear arms," Musk said of Kamala Harris. He later added, "President Trump must win to preserve the Constitution. He must win to preserve democracy in America." He told the audience that free speech depends on electing Trump, saying that "you must have free speech in order to have democracy."