The Biden administration's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) turned to Elon Musk's Starlink to restore internet access after Hurricane Helen, despite previously rejecting the company's bid for a major contract. are.
FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell said on CBS News' “Face the Nation” on Sunday that the state will help “underserved” areas like Asheville, North Carolina, in hopes of reassuring residents. He said the agency plans to “introduce” Starlink satellites for this purpose. , facing. The Biden administration has relied on Starlink assistance in the past, but nearly $900 million in grants were denied in 2023 due to suspicions of political motivation.
“This is truly historic flooding, Robert, in North Carolina, especially in western North Carolina. I don't think anyone can be completely prepared for the amount of flooding and landslides that we're experiencing right now. . We had a team there for several days. We plan to send more search and rescue teams,” Criswell said.
“Water is also a big concern right now, so we're sending bottled water, but the Army Corps of Engineers is also preparing to start evaluating today and what we can do to get our water systems back up and running quickly. “We're looking at whether we can do that,” Criswell continued. “And we're also bringing satellite communications, Starlink satellites, to the area to help with the communications shortage that's going on in that part of the state.”
In December 2023, the Biden administration's Federal Communications Commission (FCC) revoked an $885 million award that would have allowed Starlink to provide high-speed broadband to more than 640,000 rural homes and businesses. . The billionaire internet provider was expected to participate in the administration's $42 billion Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program, which aims to expand high-speed internet access, especially in rural areas. (Related: 'Dictator' judge punishes Elon Musk's Mr. X for refusing to follow 'illegal orders')
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It's unclear whether Starlink will continue to participate in the BEAD program, but SpaceX President and COO Gwynne Shotwell said: said At an August meeting, the company said it was working with the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) to determine its role and was “very interested in participating.”
The Category 4 hurricane hit Florida on Thursday and reached Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina and Tennessee, killing at least 120 people nationwide as of Sunday. According to to the New York Post.
According to the New York Post, North Carolina was hit by a hurricane over the weekend, causing flooding in Asheville and heavy rain in the mountains of Buncombe County. At least 35 people died in the disaster, and Mr Criswell warned that many health systems were “impacted” by the storm.
“We know that many health care systems have been impacted, so we also have health care assessment teams evaluating hospitals and their ability to support people affected by this storm. Multiple in all five states. Boil water notices have been issued, so we are sending teams to help assess these water systems to get them back online as quickly as possible. is also bringing in merchandise,” Criswell said.
The FCC and the White House did not immediately respond to Daily Caller News Foundation requests for comment.
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