Starlink and T-Mobile’s text-by-satellite service is available in Florida

T-Mobile customers successful areas affected by Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton volition present beryllium capable to nonstop SMS texts implicit Starlink satellites, according to SpaceX.

“We person present enabled basal texting (SMS) for those connected T-Mobile phones successful hurricane affected areas,” SpaceX says. “Text messages person already been sent and received. You tin substance loved ones, substance 911 and proceed to person exigency alerts.”

If your telephone connects to a Starlink outer alternatively of the accustomed antenna, you’ll spot 1 to 2 bars of service, and the web sanction volition beryllium “T-Mobile SpaceX,” according to SpaceX. You mightiness person to retry substance messages if they don’t spell through, and SpaceX says the work works “best outdoors” and “occasionally works indoors adjacent a window.”

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) gave SpaceX and T-Mobile impermanent support for the direct-to-cell work for areas impacted by Hurricane Helene earlier this week, wherever its satellites person been utilized to deliver exigency alerts to each phones and carriers. Now SpaceX says the FCC “has besides rapidly approved exigency peculiar impermanent authorization for sum successful Florida up of Hurricane Milton.”