I got issues with Elon Musk, but Steve Boyer, 53, the county administrator in Grayson County, Va., just north of the North Carolina border, said that on the Sunday after the hurricane hit, he ordered a Starlink terminal for $290. When it arrived two days later, he set up the satellite internet device on a slab of plywood in downtown Independence, where it provided service to the Sheriff’s Office, the Fire Department and other local emergency organizations. “We started rocking and rolling right away,” he said.

 

The Troubling Quiet of North Carolina’s Cell Service Outages

Service has been restored in some areas after Hurricane Helene, but many people are still unable to communicate by phone, which has hampered relief efforts, worried loved ones and complicated daily life.