Space Exploration Technologies Corp.‘s (NASDAQ:SPCX) Starlink Mobile activated free satellite texting for Movistar and MasOrange customers in wildfire-hit regions near Madrid, giving compatible LTE phones an emergency backup as fires disrupted terrestrial networks and forced mass evacuations across central Spain.
Free Satellite Texting Reaches Fire Zones
Starlink announced the service Sunday on X. "Families, communities and businesses with compatible LTE smartphones can now stay connected through SMS even if terrestrial networks are not available," the company said. Phones connect automatically, though coverage works best with a clear view of the sky.
The activation followed blazes across Madrid and neighboring Ávila. Spain declared a national emergency as fires overwhelmed regional resources. The Associated Press reported on Sunday that central Spain’s fires had burned more than 77,000 hectares and forced nearly 90,000 people to evacuate.
Direct-To-Cell Technology Gains Ground Across Europe
Starlink Mobile’s direct-to-cell satellites function like cellular towers in orbit, using participating carriers’ spectrum to reach ordinary smartphones without dishes. The Spanish deployment builds on a government-approved MasOrange pilot announced in February, which tested automatic satellite connectivity when ground coverage disappears.
The emergency service offers SMS rather than broadband. Even so, basic texting can help residents confirm their safety, coordinate evacuations and contact relatives when towers or fiber connections fail.
The activation appears to be among Europe’s first major disaster uses of Starlink’s satellite-to-phone system. Ukraine had planned to become the continent’s first country to launch commercial Starlink mobile messaging under a Kyivstar partnership.
Starlink Builds On Earlier Disaster Deployments
SpaceX has used Starlink repeatedly after natural disasters. Following Hurricane Helene in 2024, the Federal Communications Commission temporarily authorized SpaceX and T-Mobile US Inc. (NASDAQ:TMUS) to provide direct-to-cell coverage in North Carolina. FEMA said 40 Starlink systems were supporting responders and another 140 were being shipped. SpaceX later made service free for people affected by Helene and Hurricane Milton through year-end.
During the January 2025 Los Angeles wildfires, Elon Musk said SpaceX would provide free Starlink terminals in affected areas. Starlink and T-Mobile also enabled basic texting where cellular service had failed.
Last month, Starlink again stepped in to offer free service through July 25 in earthquake-hit parts of Venezuela and said it was deploying terminals and replacing equipment damaged by the quakes.
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