After heavy flooding left parts of New South Wales, Australia with no phone or internet access, residents in remote areas were unable to communicate what they needed.
A grassroots group of volunteers stepped up, including Australian pro surfer Mick Fanning. He used his social media to help get several Starlink kits to take to the cut-off communities. The technology was installed on poles to ensure it stayed dry while volunteers carried the supplies on foot through mudslides, downed trees, and other wreckage caused by the floods. Once connectivity was restored to the rural areas, disaster recovery officials were finally able to determine what supplies were needed and where.
Internet from space for students in rural New Mexico
In Cuba, New Mexico, there was no existing infrastructure for internet access. The local population is sparse, the budget was limited, and tribal, federal and state agencies couldn’t agree on a plan to install the traditional fiber optic cables that would be needed to get the community online. Then, the Covid-19 pandemic hit, and educators in t...
Internet from space for Navajo Nation
Navajo Nation families in Coconino County, Northern Arizona used to have drive several miles to get internet. Parents of these families had to scramble to find neighbors with wifi so their children could use it to complete their homework. It wasn’t easy or tenable, and students were at risk of falling behind. That’s why when Starlink kits were ...