From Main Street to Low Earth Orbit: How T-Mobile Keeps People Connected During Disasters

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08/26/2025 - 08:00 AM

T-Mobile is boosting disaster preparedness with expanded technology and a larger deployable fleet, including 50% more drones, helping communities and first responders stay connected when it matters most.

BELLEVUE, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- As National Preparedness Month arrives this September, T-Mobile (NASDAQ: TMUS) has expanded technology and resources to support connectivity when communities face natural disasters and severe storms — expanding its drone fleet, launching T-Satellite with Starlink, adding more deployable assets and vehicles and further hardening the network. Together, these investments mean people can better stay in touch with loved ones, receive critical alerts and access essential services. For first responders, the expansions support reliable communications and faster coordination in the field. Ahead of National Preparedness Month, here’s what’s new:

SatCOLTs, SatCOWs, Drones and Community Support Trucks keeping communities connected.

T-Satellite: Satellite texting, including the ability to text 911, now available almost anywhere the sky is visible, with data use for select apps already available on Pixel 10 with more devices and apps coming this fall.
Larger deployable fleet: T-Mobile's drone fleet increased by half, 30% more SatCOLTs (Satellite Cell on Light Trucks) and SatCOWs (Satellite Cell on Wheels) and nearly double the number of VSATs (Very Small Aperture Terminals).
Stronger community support: T-Mobile’s community support vehicles have been upgraded with more robust Wi-Fi and higher-capacity device charging.
Broader reach: UScellular customers now have access to T-Mobile’s nationwide network and disaster-response resources.
Florida investment: Network expansion and hardening throughout Florida, a $2 billion project, was completed in July.

“T-Mobile knows that disasters test communities, but connection holds them together,” said Jon Freier, President, T-Mobile Consumer Group. “That’s why we continue to innovate and expand — including a $2 billion network investment in Florida completed this year — so that whether it’s texting a loved one or 911, ensuring first responders have critical connectivity or receiving emergency alerts in real time, people have the peace of mind that comes from staying connected when it matters most.”

From Space: T-Satellite

Officially launched in July, T-Satellite is the first satellite-to-mobile network in the U.S. that automatically connects to almost every modern smartphone, no additional setup required. This means that anyone with a compatible phone can receive Wireless Emergency Alerts via satellite and people with an active T-Satellite subscription can send and receive texts messages, even if terrestrial networks are impacted by severe weather.

During the recent Texas floods, nearly 94,000 people used T-Satellite to send 287,000 SMS messages.

T-Mobile has just begun supporting satellite data, announcing last week that the new Google Pixel lineup will bring early access to T-Satellite-ready popular apps like Google Maps for off-the-grid customers — another step forward as the service continues to expand, with additional features and expansions to come.

From Air: An Expanded Drone Fleet

T-Mobile has increased its emergency drone fleet by 50% to reach more places more quickly with more capability when disasters strike.

Heavy-lift drones: Multi-mile-range drone that can carry up to 100 pounds to deliver supplies and drop in portable connectivity gear.
Search and rescue drones: Specialty drones with thermal and high-resolution cameras with LiDAR (laser-based 3D mapping) to locate people, map damage, guide crews and provide scene lighting and one-way broadcast communications — purpose-built for disaster environments.
Tethered drones: Ground-anchored drones that remain aloft up to about 400 feet, creating a temporary cell-coverage bubble about two miles wide that can run continuously.

During and after the devastating Central Texas floods, T-Mobile’s team embedded with Texas Parks & Wildlife Air Operations to fly search-and-rescue missions, map damage and flag unauthorized drones in restricted airspace.

From Land: More Deployables and Backup Assets

Over the past year, T-Mobile expanded its emergency response fleet to deliver stronger on-the-ground coverage. The fleet now includes 30% more SatCOLTs and SatCOWs, featuring new, larger and tech-loaded XL SatCOWs and XL SatCOLTs, the largest and most capable in T-Mobile’s fleet that provide more coverage than existing trucks. T-Mobile also more than doubled the number of VSAT units, which are satellite antennas that provide temporary wireless service to send and receive data.

Stronger Infrastructure, Smarter Technology

T-Mobile continues to strengthen physical infrastructure with more backup power and fortified sites across the United States, including Puerto Rico. In Florida alone, T-Mobile has made a $2 billion network investment that upgraded 1,350 sites to boost speed, capacity and reliability and hardened 1,375 towers with backup power for improved wind and flood resilience.

T-Mobile proactively prepares its network for disasters by leveraging the AI and automation-driven Self-Organizing Network (SON), which continuously monitors performance and makes real-time adjustments such as rerouting traffic, tilting antennas, managing backup power and extending battery life. Those core capabilities are bolstered by real-time threat detection via our Everbridge–Dataminr feed and Pano AI’s ultra-high-definition wildfire detection cameras integrated into strategic network sites.

T-Mobile’s 5G network also prioritizes first responders through T-Priority, a cutting-edge 5G solution including a dedicated network slice. The slice provides public safety agencies lower latency and faster speeds more consistently with the highest priority across all 5G bands— when seconds matter most.

Community Support

Over the past year, T-Mobile upgraded its Wi-Fi trucks and trailers to provide more reliable connectivity and higher-capacity charging to communities after a disaster hits. Community Support vehicles — including Wi-Fi trucks and trailers, command centers, heavy-duty pickups and Super Class C RVs — are deployed nationwide to shelters and community hubs, providing free Wi-Fi and device charging for anyone who needs it.

For more information on disaster preparedness and T-Mobile’s response capabilities, visit the company’s Emergency Response hub and follow @TMobileNews on X and Instagram.

T-Satellite: Available with compatible device in most outdoor areas in the U.S. where you can see the sky. Satellite service, including text to 911, may be delayed, limited, or unavailable. Included with Experience Beyond; or $10/mo.; auto renews monthly. Cancel anytime. T-Priority features available for eligible emergency response organizations on select plans. Capable device required. Performance baseline commits available network resources to help maintain threshold throughput, even in times of congestion. See 5G device, coverage and access details at T-Mobile.com.

About T-Mobile

T-Mobile US, Inc. (NASDAQ: TMUS) is America’s supercharged Un-carrier, delivering an advanced 4G LTE and transformative nationwide 5G network that will offer reliable connectivity for all. T-Mobile’s customers benefit from its unmatched combination of value and quality, unwavering obsession with offering them the best possible service experience and undisputable drive for disruption that creates competition and innovation in wireless and beyond. Based in Bellevue, Wash., T-Mobile provides services through its subsidiaries and operates its flagship brands, T-Mobile, Metro by T-Mobile and Mint Mobile. For more information please visit: https://www.t-mobile.com.