SO SOME PEOPLE — INCLUDING ME — HAD QUESTIONS ABOUT STARLINK ACTIVATING DIRECT-TO-CELL TECHNOLOGY FOR HURRICANE VICTIMS. Some phones, such as later model iPhones, have a limited “emergency” satellite capability already. But this T-mobile announcement and this Starlink page indicate that the new capability will work with any phone with LTE capabilities, which nowadays is nearly all of them, I believe. The Starlink page says: “Direct to Cell works with existing LTE phones wherever you can see the sky. No changes to hardware, firmware, or special apps are required, providing seamless access to text, voice, and data.”

Rolling out text this week, voice and data were scheduled for 2025, though that pace may be accelerated now. Impressive stuff.