Emergencies and Public Safety
What role has direct-to-device played in disasters, and how are governments building it into public-safety systems?
Chapter summary
D2D's clearest value so far has been in emergencies.
Key takeaways
- 1
After Hurricane Helene struck North Carolina in late September 2024, the FCC granted SpaceX and T-Mobile emergency authority to use direct-to-cell satellites, which broadcast wireless emergency alerts to phones on all networks and enabled basic texting; similar authority followed for Hurricane Milton in Florida, and satellite texting supported people during the Los Angeles fires in January 2025.
- 2
Apple's Emergency SOS via satellite has been credited with rescues since 2022.
- 3
Governments are moving from ad hoc emergency permissions to permanent requirements: the US framework requires 911 and alert capability, and Europe's 2 GHz proposal reserves a third of the band for governmental and security use.
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