SpaceX has been granted emergency temporary approval by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to provide space-based connectivity to T-Mobile customers in Florida, who may face cellular service disruptions due to Hurricane Milton. This 15-day special temporary authority (STA) allows SpaceX to offer basic texting services on T-Mobile phones in areas affected by both Hurricane Milton and Hurricane Helene. The service is facilitated by over 100 direct-to-smartphone satellites that deliver emergency alerts to all phones and carriers in the impacted regions.

Previously, SpaceX received similar regulatory approval for Hurricane Helene, which caused cellular outages in North Carolina. The company announced that basic texting capabilities could be provided on a best-effort basis due to the incomplete deployment of its direct-to-smartphone constellation.

This initiative extends capabilities similar to those offered by Globalstar, which provides emergency connectivity on recent iPhone models using L-band spectrum. SpaceX, along with other companies like AST SpaceMobile and Lynk Global, is seeking FCC permission to use cellular frequencies for commercial space-based connectivity.

In addition to these efforts, SpaceX is offering a free month of Starlink broadband service for areas affected by Hurricane Helene, excluding the cost of user terminal orders and shipping. More than 10,000 Starlink kits have been delivered in response to Helene.

Geostationary satellite operators, including Intelsat, are also preparing to address potential communication outages in Florida. Intelsat has previously assisted in restoring connectivity following Hurricane Helene by deploying terminals via Help.NGO. The non-profit organization has been working to provide communication support for relief efforts, using terminals from StarWin and Kymeta to facilitate mobile communications.

Help.NGO has mobilized additional resources in response to Hurricane Milton, with teams now deployed in Florida to support ongoing recovery efforts.