In the face of the fires that devastate Madrid, Ávila and Toledo, Starlink supports free with its satellite internet service

The fires that They devastate the Community of Madrid, Ávila and Toledo They have become hell for thousands of families. The list of evacuees and confined almost reaches 100,000 peoplebut it has not been the only aggravating factor, since many of them have also lost the possibility of communicating with other people. Given this blackout, starlink communicated to users who will be able to connect directly with the mobile phones of those affected through their satellites, without the need for antennas or additional applications.

What has happened? The fire has destroyed antennas and fiber cables, in addition to generating interference that has further complicated communications in the area. While Movistar, Orange and Vodafone worked on the ground to restore their networks, from BandaAncha confirmed that many users were beginning to witness a change in their networks. And several people claimed to see the “Orange Space X” network on the interface of their mobile phones.

Satellite connectivity. Starlink itself confirmed through its official account on X, ensuring that “Starlink Mobile is providing free connectivity to MasOrange and Movistar customers in the regions affected by the forest fires near Madrid.” The same goes for Movistar, Orange and Vodafoneteleoperated companies that have confirmed the activation of this emergency satellite service in their networks.

The company explains that families, communities and companies with compatible LTE phones can continue to communicate by SMS even if terrestrial networks do not work, since mobile phones automatically connect to this satellite network. Of course, they warn that the service “will work better with a clear view of the sky”, since it requires a direct connection with satellites in low orbit.

Months in testing. According to they count From Broadband, Orange had been testing for months in Valladolid to offer mobile satellite coverage directly to conventional terminals, thanks to a special permit from the Ministry to use its terrestrial frequencies from space. Everything indicates that this technology being tested has been advanced and urgently activated through an agreement between the Ministry, Orange, Movistar and Starlink, also opening the signal to other operators in roaming mode to provide coverage in the fire area.

Without European alternatives would you be. The service is not suitable for browsing the internet or making calls. Its capacity is limited to sending SMS and very low data usage. But in an emergency situation, that connection thread can make the difference, allowing you to notify that you are safe, coordinate an evacuation or for rescue teams to locate someone, just when traditional telephone towers have been disabled by the fire.

In the absence of European alternativesStarlink is positioned as one of the most effective solutions to obtain satellite connection in domestic environments. Today there are several European agencies that are sending satellites to low Earth orbit, although most projects are not aimed at offering Internet connection on a commercial level, but rather are specialized constellations for companies, governments, teleoperators, defense or aviation. Some well-known proper names are OneWeb, the Luxembourg SES either Hispasatthe latter being a relevant actor in Spain, Portugal and Latin America.

All of them are beginning to move, but at a pace and efficiency that is still much lower than SpaceX. This means that in emergency situations, such as the one thousands of families in Spain are experiencing with the fires, communication depends on a completely private company. Hence, the fact that there is a European alternative, detached from the control of a private company of the stature of SpaceX, is important and makes sense as part of the technological sovereignty strategy of the continent.

And now what. Starlink had already resorted to this same free connectivity formula in other disasters, such as the earthquake that shook Venezuela just a few weeks ago. In Spain, for now, the service remains as an emergency measure and not as a commercial launch. Orange had already planned to market this technology in the future, but its actual deployment as a public network has arrived earlier than expected, driven by the magnitude of the fire. It will be necessary to see if, once the flames are controlled, the service is withdrawn or if this crisis accelerates its definitive release to the market.

Cover image | The reason and Starlink

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