Category: Provides

Elon Musk To Provide Free Starlink Cell Service To L.A. Residents Affected By Fires

ALTADENA, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 08: A person walks past a home burning during the Eaton Fire on January 8, 2025 in Altadena, California. Over 1,000 structures have burned, with two people dead, in wildfires fueled by intense Santa Ana Winds across L.A. County. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)
A person walks past a home burning during the Eaton Fire on January 8, 2025 in Altadena, California. Over 1,000 structures have burned, with two people dead, in wildfires fueled by intense Santa Ana Winds across L.A. County. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)

OAN Staff Blake Wolf
12:29 PM – Thursday, January 9, 2025

As multiple roaring fires across Los Angeles County destroy thousands of homes, buildings, and other structures, cell service has dropped out across large swaths of the city, prompting Elon Musk to provide free Starlink cell service to residents in need.

At least five individuals have now died, stemming from the fires becoming intensified by the strong Santa Ana winds, and nearly 180,000 individuals have also been placed under evacuation orders.

The two largest fires, the Palisades fire and the Eaton fire, have so far resulted in at least 27,000 acres being consumed in the flames. Cell towers are now being destroyed, effectively killing phone service for individuals in disaster areas, prompting the SpaceX founder to step in.

Los Angeles residents without cell service who are attempting to reach friends and family will reportedly now be able to call whomever they wish, thanks to SpaceX owner and Trump-ally Elon Musk.

“SpaceX will provide free Starlink terminals to affected areas in LA tomorrow morning,” Musk announced in an X post.

Musk’s post was in response to a Fox 11 broadcast, which was only capable of providing a live feed due to his Starlink.

“The only reason you’re able to see us right now is because of Starlink. There’s absolutely no cell service at all in this whole area,” the reporter stated as a house burned to ashes behind her.

Musk’s Starlink system is also able to provide internet service, despite the lack of cell towers, by utilizing a “constellation” of thousands of satellites in Low-Earth Orbit.

Musk criticized the Democrat California governor for previously refusing to take preventative measures aimed at curbing wildfires, blaming California’s “nonsense regulations.”

“These fires are easily avoidable, but nonsensical regulations in California prevent action from being taken, so year after year homes burn down and more people die,” Musk wrote in an X post.

“My friend just texted me that his house burned down again. His old house also burned down in an uncontrolled wildfire several years ago. California could easily stop these massive wildfires, but refuses to put in fire breaks for bogus environmental reasons,” he added.

The Palisades fire, which has burned through nearly 27 square miles, is still 0% contained as of Thursday morning, according to Cal Fire.

The Eaton fire, which has claimed all five lives, also remains at 0% containment as of Thursday morning.

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Musk, T-Mobile Team Up To Provide Victims Of Hurricane Milton Free Starlink Direct-To-Cell Service

Elon Musk attends the Men's Singles Final match between Taylor Fritz of the United States and Jannik Sinner of Italy on Day Fourteen of the 2024 US Open at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on September 08, 2024 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
Elon Musk attends the Men’s Singles Final match between Taylor Fritz of the United States and Jannik Sinner of Italy on Day Fourteen of the 2024 US Open at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on September 08, 2024 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)

OAN Staff Abril Elfi
10:30 AM – Wednesday, October 9, 2024

SEE: https://www.oann.com/newsroom/musk-t-mobile-team-up-to-provide-victims-of-hurricane-milton-free-starlink-direct-to-cell-service/; republished below in full, unedited, for informational, educational, & research purposes:

Tesla CEO and owner Elon Musk has teamed up with T-Mobile to provide Starlink’s direct-to-cell service to victims impacted by Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton. 

On Tuesday, Musk posted on Twitter that over 10,000 Starlink satellite kits have already been deployed to provide basic texting functionality.

“We have accelerated the rollout of Starlink directly to cell phone connectivity for areas affected by the hurricanes,” Musk wrote. “This is being provided free of charge by SpaceX and [T-Mobile] to help those in need.” 

They continued, explaining that the satellites will provide emergency alerts and texts for all phones and carriers. T-Mobile phones have already been sent a notification to let customers know that they can additionally “text loved ones” and 9-1-1.

“The FCC has also rapidly approved emergency special temporary authority for coverage in Florida ahead of Hurricane Milton,” the company said.

To identify whether a phone is connected to a Starlink satellite, SpaceX will have one to two bars of signal and show “T-Mobile SpaceX” in the network name.

“Users may have to manually retry text messages if they don’t go through at first, as this is being delivered on a best-effort basis,” SpaceX also wrote on X. “The service works best outdoors, and occasionally works indoors near a window.”

On Wednesday, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) issued a warning regarding Hurricane Milton, which is expected to make landfall later in the day. 

“A large area of destructive storm surge, with highest inundations of 10 feet or greater, is expected along a portion of the west-central coast of the Florida Peninsula,” they said.

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Trump Collaborates with Elon Musk to Provide Starlink for Hurricane Helene Victims

ASHEVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA - SEPTEMBER 28: Heavy rains from hurricane Helene caused record flooding and damage on September 28, 2024 in Asheville, North Carolina. Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida's Big Bend on Thursday night with winds up to 140 mph and storm surges that killed at least 42 people in several states. (Photo by Melissa Sue Gerrits/Getty Images)
Heavy rains from hurricane Helene caused record flooding and damage on September 28, 2024 in Asheville, North Carolina. Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida’s Big Bend on Thursday night with winds of up to 140 mph and storm surges. (Photo by Melissa Sue Gerrits/Getty Images)

OAN Staff Blake Wolf
3:10 PM – Monday, September 30, 2024

SEE: https://www.oann.com/newsroom/trump-announces-collaboration-with-elon-musk-providing-starlink-communications-to-those-impacted-by-hurricane-helene/; republished below in full, unedited, for informational, educational, & research purposes:

Former President Donald Trump announced on Monday that he had spoken with tech mogul Elon Musk, coming to an agreement where the two will work together and collaborate by providing Starlink internet service to individuals impacted by Hurricane Helene who are in dire need of communication services.

“I just spoke to Elon. "We want to get Starlink hooked up because they have no communication whatsoever and Elon will always come through,” Trump said during a Valdosta, Georgia, speech, where he toured the storm damage. “We’re working [on] getting them hooked up. We’re going to try and get the Starlink in there as soon as possible.”

“To every family that’s been displaced here in Georgia and in North Carolina, which has really been hit. We’re going there also. "They don’t have communication, they don’t have anything right now,” Trump continued.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency released a fact sheet on Monday that revealed how, in addition to systems provided to local residents in need, 40 Starlink satellite systems were available for first responders requiring extra communication systems, as well as an additional 140 more being shipped for further assistance in rescue and restoration operations.

“And throughout the region, our hearts are with you, and we are going to be with you as long as you need. You’re in our prayers, and we pray to God, and throughout these long weeks, the long weeks that lay ahead. "You're going to have a lot of work, but the end result is it’s going to be good,” Trump added.

Additionally, Trump has begun working with Franklin Graham, the son of famous evangelist Billy Graham, to distribute food, water, and other emergency supplies in the regions hit the hardest.

“We came down with truckloads of different items, from oil to water … We’re here today to stand in complete solidarity with the people of Georgia and all those suffering in the terrible aftermath of Hurricane Helene,” Trump continued.

Helena recently made landfall as a category 4 hurricane, hitting Florida first before ravaging through nearby states, including the Carolinas, Georgia, Virginia, and Tennessee.

The death toll stemming from the hurricane has already climbed up to 120, with more deaths expected as rescue crews make their way to stranded civilians.

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Hurricane Helene: Florida gov. Ron Desantis provides update on deadly storm

Hurricane Helene made its way through the sunshine state and emergency crews rushed Friday to rescue people trapped in flooded homes. Florida and other states such as Georgia experienced massive storm surge power outages. Florida governor Ron Desantis held a press conference on Friday providing an update on Hurricane Helene.