Following a magnitude 7.8 earthquake that struck Mindanao in the Philippines, Starlink has activated free emergency connectivity for Globe and TM subscribers in the hardest-hit provinces. The service, delivered via Starlink's direct-to-device (D2D) satellite technology, allows compatible LTE, 4G, and 5G smartphones to connect directly to Starlink satellites — no ground-based cell tower required.
According to Globe and local Philippine media reports, the rollout covers South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, and Sarangani provinces — three areas where terrestrial network infrastructure was disrupted by power outages and physical damage. Around 700,000 Globe and TM subscribers in those regions are eligible, and the free service will remain active for up to 30 days while Globe works to restore its ground network.
This is the first time Globe has deployed Starlink's satellite-to-mobile technology specifically for disaster response. The D2D service supports essential communication channels including WhatsApp and SMS — the tools most people reach for first when trying to confirm a family member is safe. Globe had already announced a commercial rollout of the Starlink D2D service for June 2026, priced at P99 for 30 days under normal conditions. The earthquake response effectively fast-tracked a real-world stress test of that same technology at scale.
Globe CEO Carl Cruz noted that the deployment is intended to demonstrate how satellite-to-mobile connectivity can reinforce network resilience during crises — a use case that becomes more relevant as extreme weather and seismic events continue to strain traditional infrastructure. Separately, PLDT and Smart Communications are also deploying Starlink satellite broadband and D2D services as part of their own Mindanao recovery operations, meaning the technology is being validated by multiple carriers simultaneously under genuine disaster conditions.
For Starlink, this is exactly the kind of high-visibility humanitarian deployment that builds the case for D2D satellite connectivity as critical infrastructure — not just a premium add-on. Whether the 30-day free window is enough time to fully restore terrestrial coverage in the affected provinces remains to be seen, but for hundreds of thousands of people cut off from normal communications right now, the timing couldn't matter more.
Sarah focuses on Tesla Energy, SpaceX missions, and the broader Musk AI portfolio. Former data analyst in clean energy. Based in San Francisco.
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