T-Mobile Continues to Respond to Hurricane Helene
Update: October 6, 2024
T-Mobile Starlink Direct-To-Cellular Service & Network Update
Our engineers and field technicians have been steadily working to recover our network across states impacted by the devastation of Hurricane Helene. This includes deploying a large fleet of generators, SatCOLTs, SatCOWs, VSATs, microwave technology and other temporary solutions provide connectivity to first responders, public safety and communities, collaborating with partners to repair damaged fiber and providing charging and Wi-Fi to anyone who needs it at shelters, reunification centers and other locations.
Our network is almost fully restored along affected regions, with less than 1% of network sites in specific areas where conditions remain particularly challenging not connected. We continue our efforts to support these communities.
The teams at T-Mobile and Starlink asked for and received Special Temporary Authority from the FCC to operate our T-Mobile Starlink Direct-to-Cellular service over parts of North Carolina affected by Hurricane Helene. While SpaceX's direct-to-cell constellation has not been fully deployed, we felt that getting even this early test version into the hands of people on the ground could provide vital support as teams work to get infrastructure and services back online and help first responders with rescue efforts.
Community Support Locations for Saturday, October 5:
T-Mobile teams continue to remain in the Carolinas offering charging and Wi-Fi connectivity at the following locations today, during their open hours. Please check back for updates as locations may change.
North Carolina
- Western North Carolina (WNC) Agricultural at 1301 Fanning Bridge Road, Fletcher, NC 28732
- Asheville Middle School at 211 S. French Broad Ave., Asheville, NC 28801
- Dr. Wesley Grant Southside Community Center at 285 Livingston St. Asheville, NC 28801
South Carolina
- Greenwood County Emergency Medical Services at 528 Monument St., Greenwood, SC 29646
PM Update: October 5, 2024
Community Support Locations for Saturday, October 5:
T-Mobile teams continue to remain in the Carolinas this weekend offering charging and Wi-Fi connectivity at the below locations, during their open hours. Please check back for updates as locations may change.
North Carolina
- Western North Carolina (WNC) Agricultural at 1301 Fanning Bridge Road, Fletcher, NC 28732
- Asheville Middle School at 211 S. French Broad Ave., Asheville, NC 28801
- Dr. Wesley Grant Southside Community Center at 285 Livingston St. Asheville, NC 28801
- Tractor Supply Co. at 125 Old US Hwy 70 E, Black Mountain, NC 28711
South Carolina
- Greenwood County Emergency Medical Services at 528 Monument St., Greenwood, SC 29646
AM Update: October 4, 2024
Community Support Locations for Friday, October 4:
T-Mobile teams remain in the hardest hit areas of North Carolina and South Carolina, offering charging and Wi-Fi to anyone who needs it at yesterday’s locations (see below) during their open hours. Please check back for updates as locations may change.
AM Update: October 3, 2024
Community Support Locations for Thursday, October 3:
T-Mobile teams continue to be in North Carolina and South Carolina today offering charging and Wi-Fi connectivity at the following locations, during their open hours. Please check back for updates as additional locations may be added or changes made based on evolving needs. Here’s the information:
North Carolina
- Western North Carolina (WNC) Agricultural at 1301 Fanning Bridge Road, Fletcher, NC 28732
- Asheville Middle School at 211 S. French Broad Ave., Asheville, NC 28801
- Dr. Wesley Grant Southside Community Center at 285 Livingston St. Asheville, NC 28801
- Tractor Supply Co. at 125 Old US Hwy 70 E, Black Mountain, NC 28711
- Tractor Supply Co. at 14 Monticello Rd, Weaverville, NC 28787
South Carolina
- Greenwood County Emergency Medical Services at 528 Monument St., Greenwood, SC 29646
Concessions Update
We are extending unlimited talk, text and data for T-Mobile, Metro by T-Mobile and Assurance Wireless customers who don’t already have it through tomorrow, October 4, in the following counties:
- Georgia: Appling, Atkinson, Bacon, Berrien, Brooks, Burke, Clinch, Coffee, Columbia, Cook, Echols, Emanuel, Evans, Glascock, Jeff Davis, Jefferson, Johnson, Lanier, Lincoln, Lowndes, McDuffie, Montgomery, Pierce, Richmond, Screven, Telfair, Toombs, Treutlen, Ware, Warren and Wheeler
- North Carolina: Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Cleveland, Henderson, McDowell, Mitchell, Polk, Rutherford, Transylvania, Watauga and Yancey
- South Carolina: Aiken, Edgefield, Greenville, Greenwood, Laurens, McCormick, Newberry, Saluda, Spartanburg and Union
- Virginia: Grayson and Russell
AM Update: October 2, 2024
Community Support Locations for Wednesday, October 2:
T-Mobile teams will be in North Carolina and South Carolina again today offering charging and Wi-Fi connectivity at the following locations, during their open hours. Please check back for updates as additional locations may be added or changes made based on evolving needs. Here’s the information:
North Carolina
- Western North Carolina (WNC) Agricultural Center at 1301 Fanning Bridge Road, Fletcher, NC 28732
- Asheville Middle School at 211 S. French Broad Ave., Asheville, NC 28801
- Dr. Wesley Grant Sr. Southside Community Center at 285 Livingston St. Asheville, NC 28801
- Tractor Supply Co. at 125 Old US HWY 70 East, Black Mountain, NC 28711
- Tractor Supply Co. at 14 Monticello Rd, Weaverville, NC 28787
South Carolina
- Greenwood County at 528 Monument St., Greenwood, SC 29646
PM Update: October 1, 2024
Network Update
We are continuing to make steady progress to recover remaining impacted sites. Here are the latest updates:
- Jacksonville, Florida to Valdosta and Savannah, Georgia: We’re deploying more portable generators to restore sites impacted by commercial power outages. In the rural areas between these cities, teams are working to repair damage from downed poles and trees.
- Augusta, Georgia: The majority of impacted sites are back up. We are continuing to deploy portable generators and microwave equipment to restore power and backhaul at remaining sites.
- North Carolina and South Carolina: Though conditions remain challenging, our teams are continuing to make progress across the Carolinas. We've executed hundreds of site assessments, deployed hundreds of portable generators and each day have expanded our deployment of SatCOLTs and VSATs to support public safety efforts and connect impacted communities. As technicians perform site assessments in extremely rural areas, we have brought in additional assets to support recovery where outages may otherwise be prolonged.
- Tennessee: Our third-party vendor repaired the additional damaged fiber in Johnson City, restoring the vast majority of sites in the area. We’re working to bring back the few remaining impacted sites.
- West Virginia: We’ve restored nearly all sites in West Virginia.
AM Update: October 1, 2024
Community Support Locations for Tuesday, October 1
T-Mobile teams will be in North Carolina and South Carolina offering charging and Wi-Fi connectivity at the following locations, during their open hours. Please check back for updates as additional locations may be added or changes made based on evolving needs. Here’s the information:
North Carolina
- Western North Carolina (WNC) Agricultural Center at 1301 Fanning Bridge Road, Fletcher, NC 28732
- Asheville Middle School at 211 S. French Broad Ave., Asheville, NC 28801
- Dr. Wesley Grant Sr. Southside Community Center at 285 Livingston St. Asheville, NC 28801
- A-B Tech Community College at 340 Victoria Rd., Asheville, NC 28801
South Carolina
- Greenwood County at 528 Monument St., Greenwood, SC 29646
AM Update: September 30, 2024
Community Support Locations for Monday, September 30
Additional locations for our community support teams have been added for Monday, September 30. Teams will offer charging and Wi-Fi connectivity at the following locations, during their open hours. Please check back for updates as additional locations may be added or changes made based on evolving needs. Here’s the information:
North Carolina
- Hendersonville County Parks and Recreation Center at 708 South Grove St., Hendersonville, NC 28792
- Asheville Middle School at 211 S. French Broad Ave., Asheville, NC 28801
- Dr. Wesley Grant Sr. Southside Community Center at 285 Livingston St. Asheville, NC 28801
South Carolina
- Greenwood County Emergency Medical Services at 528 Monument St., Greenwood, SC 29646
- Glenwood Baptist Church at 35 Saco Lowell Rd., Easley, SC 29640
Update: September 29, 2024
Network Update
T-Mobile’s network is completely or nearly restored in Virginia, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio and Pennsylvania and most of Florida including Tampa, Miami and Orlando. In other locations restoration continues as conditions allow:
- Jacksonville, Florida to Valdosta and Savannah, Georgia: We are recovering sites, however third-party transport and backhaul issues continue to impact restoration. We plan to complete an additional 80 to 90 site assessments and position over 60 additional portable generators today.
- Augusta, Georgia: We’ve deployed several trailers of portable generators as well as microwave equipment to restore power and backhaul, and have two more trailers deploying today.
- North Carolina and South Carolina: Our crews have overcome extremely challenging conditions and limited site access to restore 132 sites and position 149 portable generators in the last 24 hours and their work will continue today. In addition to the SatCOLT in Hendersonville, we’ve activated another at the Tractor Supply Co. in Asheville and are working to place others at the Mission Hospital in Asheville, the Cherokee County Emergency Operations Center (EOC) in Murphy and in Cherokee to support the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.
- Tennessee: Our third-party vendor repaired the damaged fiber in Johnson City but identified additional cuts. Once those are repaired majority of service should be restored in the area.
- West Virginia: Over half of sites have been restored. Our teams are actively working in Princeton and Bluefield to recover the remaining affected sites.
As sites are recovered, we’re moving assets including portable generators, SatCOLTs and SatCOWs, VSATs and microwave equipment to our staging yard in Spartanburg, South Carolina for further deployment as soon as conditions permit.
Community Support Update
We have a team at the Central Square Complex Gym (216 S. Madison Ave, Douglas, GA 31533) today providing Wi-Fi, power and device charging for anyone who needs it.
Additional community support resources are relocating to our staging area in Spartanburg, South Carolina and will be moved to support communities, first responders and employees as conditions become safe.
First Responder Update
Our emergency teams are actively supporting and coordinating efforts across North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Georgia and Florida with network assets to provide connectivity to first responders, public safety and relief organizations at federal, state and local levels.
Click here to see our full list of updates
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September 26, 2024 /3BL/ - Hurricane Helene has officially strengthened to a Category 1 hurricane ahead of making landfall in the Big Bend area of Florida tomorrow night. T-Mobile has activated its emergency teams in anticipation of the severe winds up to 125 mph, 8-12 inches of rain and potentially fatal storm surge Hurricane Helene may bring across Florida, Alabama and Georgia. Here’s how T-Mobile and its emergency response teams are working to ensure customers, communities, first responders and others remain connected:
Network Preparation
Our network emergency management team, local market teams and National Operations Centers are vigilantly monitoring our network’s performance. T-Mobile’s teams are also pre-staging a large fleet of equipment at critical and strategic locations in Florida, Alabama and Georgia for rapid deployment after Hurricane Helene passes and conditions safely allow, and have taken steps to ensure that permanent backup power resources are ready, including:
- T-Mobile’s Mobile Emergency Operations Centers (EOCs): Large RVs with network management and monitoring equipment
- SatCOLTs and SatCOWs: Satellite cell-on-light-trucks and satellite cell-on-wheels that teams can drive to impacted areas to temporarily restore or boost service
- Quick-deploy and portable VSATs: Satellite dishes called “Very Small Aperture Terminals” that can provide a layer of coverage across broad areas and quickly provide temporary wireless service to send and receive data from T-Mobile’s network
- Microwave solutions: Network technology that offers high throughput and low latency for better data usage
- Portable Generators: Portable power solutions that can be quickly set up to power sites and help customers
- Permanent Batteries and Generators: Generators and batteries permanently installed on key sites — such as cell sites, data centers and switching centers — along Hurricane Helene’s path and surrounding areas have been topped up
Moreover, T-Mobile’s network modernization allows local teams to swiftly and digitally fine-tune network coverage, focusing on critical areas to boost signal concentration as needed. By adjusting antennas and towers, T-Mobile can bolster connectivity for rescue operations, Incident Command Centers, shelters, reunification centers, hospitals or other essential locations.
Public Safety and First Responders
T-Mobile for Government is actively engaged with numerous federal, state and local officials and emergency management agencies across Florida, Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia including: Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and each state’s Emergency Operations Center.
Our team is already preparing to deploy to support requests from first responders for additional network coverage and capacity once conditions safely allow.
Agencies needing communications assistance can reach out to our 24-hour emergency hotline at 888-639-0020 or email at ERTRequests@T-Mobile.com.
Community Support
Our teams will be staged in Mississippi and Georgia with a second large fleet of equipment and assets for deployment once conditions are safe. This includes a Community Support Command Center to serve as a central hub for T-Mobile’s community operations, as well as numerous heavy-duty trucks and trailers that provide Wi-Fi and device charging and are stocked with charging supplies for anyone who needs them.
Customer Concessions
While the majority of our customers are on plans with unlimited talk, text and data, for those who aren’t we are offering unlimited talk, text and data for T-Mobile, Metro by T-Mobile and Assurance Wireless customers from tomorrow, September 26, through Wednesday, October 2, in the following counties:
- Alabama: Barbour, Chambers, Henry, Houston, Lee, Randolph and Russell
- Florida: Alachua, Baker, Calhoun, Citrus, Columbia, Dixie, Franklin, Gadsden, Gilchrist, Gulf, Hamilton, Hernando, Jackson, Jefferson, Lafayette, Leon, Levy, Liberty, Madison, Suwannee, Taylor, Union and Wakulla
- Georgia: Appling, Atkinson, Bacon, Baker, Baldwin, Ben Hill, Berrien, Bibb, Bleckley, Brantley, Brooks, Burke, Butts, Calhoun, Candler, Charlton, Chattahoochee, Clay, Clinch, Coffee, Colquitt, Cook, Crawford, Crisp, Decatur, Dodge, Dooly, Dougherty, Early, Echols, Emanuel, Glascock, Grady, Hancock, Harris, Heard, Houston, Irwin, Jasper, Jeff Davis, Jefferson, Jenkins, Johnson, Jones, Lamar, Lanier, Laurens, Lee, Lowndes, Macon, Marion, Meriwether, Miller, Mitchell, Monroe, Montgomery, Muscogee, Peach, Pierce, Pike, Pulaski, Putnam, Quitman, Randolph, Schley, Seminole, Spalding, Stewart, Sumter, Talbot, Tattnall, Taylor, Telfair, Terrell, Thomas, Tift, Toombs, Treutlen, Troup, Turner, Twiggs, Upson, Ware, Washington, Wayne, Webster, Wheeler, Wilcox, Wilkinson and Worth
Employees and Retail Stores
We are monitoring potential impacts on our employees, retail stores and other locations. For updates on local store operations, please use our store locator to check your nearest store, as some locations may be temporarily closed or operating under modified hours in the coming days.
More Information
For more information on how T-Mobile prepares for emergencies and disasters along with steps that customers can take to prepare, please go T-Mobile’s Emergency Response Resource site at: https://www.t-mobile.com/news/emergency-response.
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