SpaceX has received the necessary legislative permissions to allow One New Zealand to begin field testing its revolutionary

If your phone connects to a Starlink satellite instead of the usual antenna, you’ll see 1 to 2 bars of service, and the network name will be “T-Mobile SpaceX,” according to SpaceX. You might have to retry text messages if they don’t go through, and SpaceX says the service works “best outdoors” and “occasionally works indoors near a window.”

The Federal Communications Commission has given Starlink and T-Mobile permission to enable their satellite texting service for Florida residents ahead of Hurricane Milton's landfall. In an announcement on X,

A direct-to-cell service from Starlink and T-Mobile has gone live in Florida in both areas projected to be hit by Hurricane Milton and those previously impacted by Hurricane Helene. The service permits smartphone owners in supported areas to send texts (SMS),

T-Mobile and Starlink are teaming up to provide satellite-based cell reception during emergencies like Hurricane Milton. The direct-to-cell network activation provides emergency communication well before it was planned to be ready for launch.