After a major storm, the need to communicate peaks at the exact moment networks are least able to carry it. Residents need to reach family, insurers and aid. Responders need to coordinate. Restoring wired and cellular service can take days or weeks.
Why local networks fail together
Hurricanes bring down power, poles and fiber, flood equipment and damage towers. Even networks that survive can be overloaded. Any connection that depends on local infrastructure is exposed to the same storm.
What works on day one
Low-earth-orbit satellite does not depend on anything local except power and a view of the sky. Portable high-performance kits can be set up at shelters, community centers, command posts and staging areas the day teams arrive, giving people a working connection while longer repairs happen.
Planning before the storm
- Pre-stage satellite kits and power for the sites that will need them.
- Identify community locations where connectivity will be offered.
- Plan for capacity, since many people will share each connection.
- Keep a second path for command posts and critical facilities.
- Assign who deploys, supports and recovers the equipment.
For public agencies and critical sites
Emergency services, public works and utilities can build the same resilience into permanent sites. A satellite layer alongside fiber and cellular keeps dispatch, stations and operations centers connected when local networks are damaged.
After recent hurricanes, SimpleCom teams deployed Starlink high-performance satellite kits into affected communities across North Carolina, South Carolina and Florida, with unlimited data and no charge to the people using them. About 20,000 people were brought back online. This was SimpleCom community outreach, not a client engagement. Read Same-day connectivity for 20,000 people after a hurricane.
Common questions
How quickly can satellite connectivity be deployed after a storm?
With kits and power on hand, connectivity can be in place the same day teams arrive.
How many people can share one kit?
It depends on how the connection is used. Plan for heavy shared use and add capacity at busy sites.
Planning connectivity for emergencies?
One team to survey, install and support every site, on your timeline.