Key Takeaways
- It can take time to recover from a disaster, which means lots of downtime for basic services.
- Some North Carolina communities are using Starlink in order to get online.
- It’s clear that satellite communication is going to be crucial during emergency situations.
When a natural disaster strikes, it can affect a range of vital services like gas, water, and electricity. Of course, communication services may also go down as well, leaving many without a way of reaching the outside world to let family, friends, and loved ones know that they are safe. Thankfully, in moments like this, companies understand how important it can be to restore basic services.
Related
What is Starlink?
Starlink’s satellites are bringing the internet to the world. Here’s how they work, what they’re about, and what the future holds
And while it can take some time to get some services up and running, communication services can be a bit faster thanks to carriers having remote cell towers on standby whenever needed. Of course, these solutions can still take time to deploy, as affected areas may not be easily accessible. Luckily, it looks like new solutions are being used during the aftermath of Hurricane Helen, with a report from CBS17 sharing that some people and communities in North Carolina are utilizing Starlink in order to make the internet available during these challenging times.
A faster way to bring necessary services online
It’s unclear who is providing these Starlink access points, but the news website also reports that several fire departments in the area also have Starlink systems online that are being used. In addition, several other Starlink hubs have been set up across the city, with one at the DoubleTree Hilton, Fletcher Academy, and a retirement community at Lake Lure in Rutherford County. All of this makes it seem like these are just personal devices being used and not something that has been deployed by the SpaceX, the company behind Starlink.
Now, we have to be clear that Starlink is going to be limited when it comes to range, providing only a short range, but something is better than nothing, especially when there aren’t many other options available. Of course, cellular providers are also finding ways to get service back online with remote cell towers that provide service up to two miles and Wi-Fi service that can span 500 feet. While these types of services are important, it’s important to see just how important satellite services can be going forward.
While there are currently standalone products that provide satellite communications from brands like Garmin, we have yet to see this really go mainstream when it comes to mobile phones. Apple’s iPhones have had the ability to communicate using satellites for a couple of years now, and we’re just seeing this arrive to Android phones this year. More importantly, the ability to communicate using satellites is finally going to get a big boost thanks to carriers like T-Mobile, who just recently began testing its service that’s set to go live sometime in the next several months.
