Starlink and T-Mobile work together to enable satellite SMS for Los Angeles wildfire victims

SpaceX and T-Mobile are working to deliver Starlink Direct-to-Cellular (DTC) service over impacted areas of Southern California to deliver wireless emergency alerts, SMS, and 911 texting to those who need it.

T-Mobile announced: "Today T-Mobile and Starlink opened up T-Mobile Starlink Direct-to-Cellular service over impacted areas of Southern California to deliver wireless emergency alerts and SMS and enable 911 texting. While SpaceX's direct-to-cell constellation has not been fully deployed, we are once again temporarily making this early test version available for those who need it most".

The carrrier said that its network "held strong" during the crisis, and that it has "restored roughly half of the sites that were impacted by commercial power loss". T-Mobile continued: "As conditions safely allow, our teams are evaluating impacted sites in Altadena, Duarte, Calabasas, Malibu, Fillmore and Agoura Hills, and continuing to deploy and refuel portable generators to sites until commercial power is restored".

• We are offering unlimited talk, text and data to T-Mobile, Metro by T-Mobile and Assurance Wireless customers in impacted areas who don't already have it and we've increased data allotments for Mint and Ultra Mobile customers. More details below.
• T-Mobile Starlink Direct-to-Cellular service over impacted areas of Southern California has now enabled basic texting, including to 911, and delivering wireless emergency alerts.

Free relief supplies, Wi-Fi, charging options and more will be at select stores and other locations as conditions allow. These are open to the public. Current location:

• T-Mobile Freemont & Huntington retail store: 1318 Huntington Dr., South Pasadena, CA 91030

See below for other locations that change daily:

Some stores are temporarily closed or operating on reduced hours so please visit our store locator for updates.