In my opinion, the current “best bang for the buck” of emergency communications capability is to invest in a Starlink Mini and corresponding Starlink service, and an independent source of power for it such as the Ryobi 18V ONE+ 120-Watt Power Source With 12V Output that I discussed in Zero Retries 0169. Turn on your mobile phone’s Voice over Wi-Fi feature, and as long as the Starlink Mini has a clear view of the sky, and power (and your billing is up to date), you have a “works anywhere” mobile phone, text messaging, web browser, apps such as Facebook, weather, etc. With the Starlink Mini’s Wi-Fi, laptops, tablets, even smart televisions have Internet access, with enough bandwidth to be able to share.

But however useful, Starlink Mini and its accessories is a dedicated set of hardware, and a subscription, that may not make sense (or be affordable) to many people. Thus, there really needs to be an alternative for the folks that have “just a phone” as their communications lifeline.

In the impacted area, Hurricane Helene wiped out most terrestrial communications infrastructure — cellular, landline, and most impactful, grid (mains) power. Battery backup systems and generators are just that — backup, not primary power sources. Battery backup systems bridge a gap of a few hours, or a few days at most, of loss of grid power and restoration of grid power. Backup generators can generally carry primary loads, but require regular refueling and periodic maintenance. It’s also notable that restoration of all that destroyed communications infrastructure, especially in Western North Carolina and that region, may have to wait for roads not just to be cleared of debris, but in many cases entirely rebuilt. In some cases, construction of entirely new roads and bridges in a different area as that may be more practical, timely, and cost effective than restoration of destroyed roads and bridges. Thus “regular” communications may take weeks or months to be restored.

Apple iPhone Satellite Messaging

One of the lesser-told stories in these disasters is the availability and use of satellite communication features that were introduced in Apple’s iPhone 14 in 2022, and have since been included in all iPhones since (not just the high end “Pro” models). When this feature was introduced, it was solely for “Emergency SOS”, but Apple has now enabled satellite communications for non-emergency (text message) communications. The built-in iPhone satellite communications capability certainly isn’t as good as a dedicated satellite communications device such as a SPOT dedicated satellite communicator on the Globalstar satellite network (the same satellite system that Apple iPhones use) or a Garmin InReach (uses the Iridium satellite network). But using those networks require the (advance) purchase of a separate device, a separate (continuous) subscription fee, and they have to be with you when you really need it, and of course, having it charged up and accessible.

Thus, the device that you always have with you — your iPhone 14 (or later), that you’ll be certain to grab on the way out the door, is arguably a reasonable compromise between the lower performance of the iPhone satellite communications, and the dedicated but higher performance dedicated satellite communicators.

Starlink and T-Mobile Special Temporary Authority to Activate Satellite to Phone Capability

While the iPhone satellite communications capability depends on new radios (or enhanced capabilities of the “radio chips”) being built into the iPhone 14 models and later to access the dedicated spectrum of the Globalstar satellite network, a partnership between Starlink and T-Mobile in the US is taking a different approach to use normal cellphones to access Starlink satellites¹. This type of service is called Supplemental Coverage from Space (SCS). T-Mobile is the first² partner of SpaceX for this service³, and T-Mobile has reserved some of its terrestrial cellular spectrum — 1910–1915 MHz / 1990–1995 MHz for use on Starlink satellites that have additional radios and large, focused antennas for providing SCS. Starlink has not yet begun commercial service (nor received full permission to do so by the FCC) because not enough satellites are in orbit equipped to provide this service.

But, there are enough such “SCS” Starlink satellites in orbit to begin testing and SpaceX requested Special Temporary Authority (STA) from the FCC to begin that testing on 2024-05-01 for a period of 180 days.

But then Hurricanes Helene and Milton hit, two weeks apart, and without mobile networks being operational, there are a lot of people that do not have any communications. They have phones and perhaps ways to charge them (generators, vehicles, etc.) — just nothing to connect to.

Thus a new Special Temporary Authority (STA) for folks in those affected areas will provide at least minimal services, per this tweet (?) by SpaceX on X dated 2024-10-06:

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.

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.

While the service provided by this STA seems limited to T-Mobile customers, it’s available for use on any recent mobile phone, not just iPhone 14s and later, or phones from other manufacturers.

Satellite to Phone Wireless Emergency Alerts

I was unaware of an even earlier STA that Wireless Emergency Alerts via satellite was being tested:

T‑Mobile Conducts the First Ever Wireless Emergency Alert Via Satellite

September 11, 2024

T-Mobile Starlink satellite-to-smartphone technology to bring critical emergency alerts to 500,000+ square miles of land currently unreachable with earth-based cell towers.

Emergency alerts will work for everyone – even Verizon, AT&T and other wireless provider customers will receive critical emergency alerts.

BELLEVUE, Wash. — September 11, 2024 — Hurricanes, tornadoes, fires — the type of catastrophic events that often trigger a wireless emergency alert — don’t care about wireless coverage zones. Soon it won’t matter.

Today, T-Mobile (NASDAQ: TMUS) announced that it successfully sent and received — for the first time ever in the U.S. — a wireless emergency alert (WEA) via satellite. The breakthrough opens up the 500,000 square miles of lightly populated, mountainous and/or uninhabitable land across the country to critical, life-saving emergency alerts.

“This is one of those days, as the CEO of a wireless company, that makes me pause for a moment and reflect on how technology advancements and the work we’re doing is truly impacting life and death situations,” said Mike Sievert, CEO, T-Mobile.

At 5:13 PM PT on Thursday, September 5th, T-Mobile initiated a test alert for a hypothetical evacuation notice. The alert was sent 217 miles into space where it was received by one of the more than 175 Starlink direct-to-smartphone satellites currently in low earth orbit that effectively function as cell towers in space. The alert was then broadcast to a geographic area impacted by the hypothetical evacuation notice and received by a T-Mobile smartphone.

In total, it took emergency operators just seconds to queue up an emergency message and deliver that message via Starlink satellites to users on the ground.

The life-saving benefits of satellite-enabled WEAs are immense. Take the 2018 Camp Fire in Northern California as an example. The fire, which ultimately burned more than 150,000 acres, forced the evacuation of 52,000 people, destroyed 19,000 structures including most of the city of Paradise and, most devastatingly, took 86 lives, erupted in the rural Sierra Nevada mountains.

Those who lived, worked or played off the cellular network grid - relatively common in lightly populated areas with significant elevation changes — had no access to emergency alerts due to lack of wireless service coverage. The fire also took out a reported 17 cell towers on the first day of the fire and 66 total during the first two weeks of the blaze making communications — with first responders or loved ones — nearly impossible for many.

T-Mobile and Starlink, with more than 175 direct-to-smartphone satellites currently in low-earth orbit, are currently testing satellite-to-smartphone service. Additional SpaceX launches are scheduled over the coming months to add more satellites to the current constellation, further blanketing the country with wireless coverage. As that happens, T-Mobile intends to beta test the service before launching it commercially.

While it’s early days for Satellite to Phone technology, it seems clear that these new capabilities for mobile phone users will be yet another game changing communications technology, especially the Wireless Emergency Alert capability. While there is an existing, robust infrastructure for Emergency Alerts called Emergency Alert System that incorporates notifications via mobile telephone (when mobile phone service is available), broadcast television and radio, direct broadcast satellite, streaming television service, and the dedicated NOAA Weather Radio All Hazards (NWR) network of transmitters that can be received by compatible receiver units… those are all trumped by the one, primary device that everyone has readily at hand in an emergency — one’s mobile phone.

Thus this new capability provided by T-Mobile and Starlink:

[Satellite] Emergency alerts will work for everyone – even Verizon, AT&T and other wireless provider customers will receive critical emergency alerts.

… answers a long standing issue that for many folks, their mobile phone is their only communications device. If that isn’t working because mobile networks are down, they cannot receive emergency notifications. Thus this new capability of Satellite to Phone Wireless Emergency Alerts, once fully operational, seems destined to save many lives by providing reliable emergency alerts, regardless of the state of the terrestrial infrastructure.