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T-Mobile’s support trucks hit the streets in fire-threatened neighborhoods of Los Angeles. (T-Mobile Photo)
T-Mobile has opened up direct-to-cellular emergency texting over SpaceX’s Starlink satellite network on a temporary basis in areas affected by this week’s catastrophic wildfires in the Los Angeles area.
In a news release, Bellevue, Wash.-based T-Mobile said the satellite service can be used to send texts to loved ones, deliver wireless emergency alerts and enable 911 texting. “While SpaceX’s direct-to-cell constellation has not been fully deployed, we are once again temporarily making this early test version available for those who need it the most,” T-Mobile said.
John Saw, T-Mobile’s chief technology officer, pointed out in a posting to the X social-media platform that the system should work even in areas without commercial power or terrestrial cell coverage.
Satellite texting could be a lifesaver in areas of the wildfire zone where cell towers have been knocked out of service. “Can’t burn down a tower when there is no tower,” Ben Longmier, SpaceX’s senior director of satellite engineering, said on X.
SpaceX and T-Mobile announced their collaboration on satellite direct-to-cell services almost two and a half years ago, but the project required SpaceX to send up a set of next-generation Starlink V2 satellites. Those satellites — which are built at the company’s facility in Redmond, Wash. — are now in the midst of being deployed. Hundreds of them are already in low Earth orbit.
T-Mobile is gearing up for a nationwide beta test of direct-to-cell text messaging, with voice and data service to follow later.
Subscribers with postpaid voice/text plans can sign up to volunteer for the beta test, but not everyone will be selected for the initial round of testing. T-Mobile says it will start with customers who have newer mobile devices that are most suited for direct-to-cell service, and will eventually extend the test to as many devices as possible.
T-Mobile expects to provide Starlink-enabled service to all subscribers with compatible devices by the end of this year.
This isn’t the first time T-Mobile has turned on Starlink direct-to-cell connections: Last year, limited service was provided temporarily in areas that were hard-hit by Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton.
Separately, emergency satellite text messaging has been built into Apple iPhones starting with the iPhone 14 model. Apple’s Emergency SOS service relies on Globalstar’s satellite constellation.
