T-Mobile and SpaceX activate satellite texting in wildfire-stricken Los Angeles

Summary

• T-Mobile and SpaceX have activated their satellite-based texting service for T-Mobile users impacted by wildfires in Los Angeles.
• T-Mobile is also offering free unlimited talk, text, and data for customers in specific unaffected areas of Los Angeles County (Altadena, La Cañada Flintridge, Los Angeles, Palisades, Pasadena & Sierra Madre) through January 15th.
• While Verizon's satellite service isn't ready for deployment yet, it is waiving domestic call/text/data charges for affected customers in 6 California counties. AT&T is offering free unlimited talk, text & data to its customers with additional support from its disaster response team.

T-Mobile's Starlink-powered direct-to-cell texting service has already received full FCC approval, but it still isn't widely live yet. However, that hasn't stopped the two companies from flipping the switch on the service in times of need.

Back in October, when Hurricane Milton devastated Florida, T-Mobile and Starlink enabled their satellite-based texting service for all T-Mobile users in the affected areas. Now, with four major wildfires raging across Los Angeles County, the two companies have enabled the service for its customers again.

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The service's activation was highlighted by the official SpaceX account on X (Twitter) on January 9, allowing T-Mobilee customer in the area, directly or indirectly affected by the fires, to receive emergency alerts and text their loved ones or 911.

If there is no T-Mobile cellular infrastructure damage in your area, and you still have signal, the carrier giant is also offering unlimited talk, text and data for T-Mobile, Metro by T-Mobile and Assurance Wireless customers in the cities of Altadena, La Cañada Flintridge, Los Angeles, Palisades, Pasadena and Sierra Madre. The free unlimited service is available through Wednesday, January 15.

AT&T and Verizon are offering relief too

Other carrier giants aren't far behind. Although Verizon, too, has begun dipping its toes in satellite connectivity through partnerships with Garmin and Skylo, the service is presumably not ready to be deployed in the wake of LA's fires. The carrier will, however, waive domestic call/text/data usage charges incurred between January 9 and January 18 for prepaid and postpaid consumer and small business customers in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego and Ventura counties. "Customers do not have to take any action for these usage charges to be waived and customers whose bill cycles have already closed will have such charges automatically credited back," wrote Verizon.

AT&T, similarly, is waiving off overage charges to provide unlimited talk, text and data for AT&T Postpaid & Prepaid customers from January 8 through February 15, in addition to deploying its own disaster response team, including the FirstNet Response Operations Group, to maintain network stability and support first responders