According to Sawyer Merritt on Twitter, T-Mobile has activated free cellular Starlink services in the US to support basic text messaging during winter storm Fern, waiving the usual $10/month fee (source: Sawyer Merritt, Twitter, Jan 24, 2026). This deployment highlights the growing trend of integrating AI-driven satellite communication solutions for disaster resilience and emergency response. By leveraging Starlink's AI-managed satellite network, T-Mobile ensures continuous connectivity when traditional infrastructure is disrupted, offering new business opportunities for AI-enabled emergency communication platforms and advancing the use of artificial intelligence in critical public safety scenarios.

According to Sawyer Merritt on Twitter, SpaceX's advanced Starshield platform, a more secure version of Starlink, is now being utilized by the US military for critical communications, highlighting rapid adoption of AI-driven satellite technology in defense applications (source: @SawyerMerritt). This development demonstrates significant business opportunities for AI-powered secure satellite networks, as government and defense sectors increasingly demand robust, resilient, and AI-enhanced connectivity. The sustained collaboration between SpaceX and NASA over the past 5.5 years, enabling crewed missions from American soil, further points to the expanding role of AI in space technology and national security (source: @SawyerMerritt).