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T-Mobile Tests Wireless Emergency Alert Via Satellite

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Sep 11, 2024, 2:27 PM by Rich Brome

T-Mobile and SpaceX have successfully tested a wireless emergency alert (WEA) via the Starlink network's new direct-to-cell capability. The test message was sent by emergency operators and received by a Starlink direct-to-smartphone satellite currently in low earth orbit. The message was then automatically "broadcast to a geographic area impacted by the hypothetical evacuation notice and received by a T-Mobile smartphone" successfully. The service works in areas without cellular coverage. This can be particularly useful when a disaster — such as a wildfire — has damaged cell towers, creating new cellular "dead zones" at a time when emergency communication is critical. Of the 6,000+ Starlink satellites currently orbit, so far 175 have the new direct-to-cell technology that acts like a cell tower in space and can communicate with existing phones. SpaceX continues to add more Starlink satellites with this new functionality. "As that happens, T-Mobile intends to beta test the service before launching it commercially." T-Mobile promises a text message service initially, followed by voice and data in following years, as the system grows. Verizon and AT&T are testing a similar system from AST SpaceMobile, which will launch its first five commercial satellites into orbit (via a SpaceX rocket) tomorrow. Both systems will work with most existing phones, while "NTN" satellite services from Apple and Skylo (supporting Google and Samsung phones) require specific hardware support in each phone.

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