Liberty Caribbean to Leverage Starlink “Direct to Cell” for Emergency Connectivity in Jamaica After Hurricane Melissa

KINGSTON, Jamaica — October 29, 2025 — In the wake of Hurricane Melissa’s devastating sweep across Jamaica, Liberty Caribbean says it is activating a first-of-its-kind collaboration in the island to keep people connected when terrestrial mobile service is impaired: satellite-to-phone “Direct to Cell” coverage via Starlink. The initiative aims to provide basic, life-safety communications for Flow mobile customers in areas where towers and backhaul have been knocked offline by the storm’s destructive winds and flooding.

Hurricane Melissa made landfall in southwestern Jamaica on Tuesday with extreme winds and record-low pressure, severing power for large swaths of the country and crippling infrastructure across multiple parishes—particularly St. Elizabeth and Clarendon—before pushing on toward Cuba. Authorities warned of catastrophic flooding, landslides, and prolonged outages as assessment teams began surveying damage in the storm’s aftermath.

In a statement, Liberty Caribbean—part of Liberty Latin America—said it will utilize spectrum approved by the Spectrum Management Authority and the Ministry of Energy, Transport, and Telecommunications to enable emergency connectivity through Starlink’s Direct to Cell satellites when parts of its island-wide mobile network are degraded. The company said its FLOW Essential service will provide basic connectivity immediately, with satellite-integrated SMS and text communications acting as a resiliency layer “in the aftermath of the Hurricane.”

“We truly understand that having the ability to communicate in the aftermath of the Hurricane is a matter of life and death,” said Inge Smidts, CEO of Liberty Caribbean. “Our FLOW Essential service will provide basic connectivity immediately. This innovation will provide emergency mobile connectivity via satellite and facilitates SMS and text communications to areas affected by the passage of Hurricane Melissa.”

First-of-its-Kind Partnership in Jamaica

Liberty Caribbean characterized the arrangement as Jamaica’s first formal pairing of a terrestrial mobile operator with a satellite communications provider to enable seamless, device-native connectivity for customers when ground networks are unavailable. In practice, that means affected users with ordinary LTE phones could still send texts and essential messages by connecting directly to satellites overhead, without special hardware, if their local towers are down. The company framed the effort as a commitment to public safety and disaster readiness for Jamaica’s communities, businesses, and first responders.

Starlink’s Direct to Cell network is being rolled out to provide text, voice, and data to standard LTE devices from space, effectively operating as “cell towers in orbit.” The service is designed to integrate with mobile carriers similarly to a roaming partner, extending coverage into dead zones on land and across coastal waters. While capabilities and timelines vary by market and partner, Starlink says Direct to Cell will enable ubiquitous coverage where the sky is visible, and it is working with operators globally to integrate emergency and mainstream connectivity.

Why It Matters in This Disaster

Communication is often among the first casualties of severe hurricanes, and Jamaica’s experience with Melissa is no exception. Initial reports indicated widespread structural damage, inundation, and power loss, with emergency shelters activated and critical services strained. Government agencies have urged residents to conserve power, steer clear of downed lines, and rely on official advisories for evacuation and relief information. As assessments progress, connectivity—whether via surviving towers, restored fiber backhaul, or satellite direct-to-phone—will be crucial for coordinating relief, reuniting families, and restarting commerce.

International and regional media depicted Melissa as Jamaica’s strongest storm on record, with sustained winds near 185 mph during landfall and impacts spreading beyond the island as the system tracked toward Cuba and the Bahamas. Scientists and regional leaders have pointed to warmer ocean waters and rapid intensification as contributing factors, with appeals for climate resilience and disaster funding likely to intensify in the months ahead.

How the Satellite Layer Works

Direct to Cell satellites carry advanced phased array antennas and inter-satellite laser links that route traffic across the Starlink network to ground stations connected to the public internet. In an emergency configuration with a carrier partner like Liberty Caribbean, a compatible band plan and regulatory approvals allow customer devices to register to the space-based cell when terrestrial service is unavailable. Messaging is the lightest-weight application and typically the first capability to go live; voice and broadband-class data follow as capacity and standards integration mature.

The approach mirrors the “failover” philosophy in critical infrastructure: when one layer (e.g., towers or fiber backhaul) is compromised, another (satellite) can sustain minimal essential communications. Globally, regulators have also recognized satellite-to-phone as a disaster-response tool. In the U.S., for example, the FCC granted emergency authority in 2024 for Starlink’s direct-to-cell coverage after Hurricane Helene—a signal of how agencies see satellite augmentation fitting into resilience strategies for mobile networks.

What Liberty Caribbean Says Comes Next

According to the company, the integration with Starlink is meant to complement, not replace, ongoing restoration of Jamaica’s terrestrial networks. Liberty Caribbean emphasized that its teams are working island-wide to bring cell sites back online, prioritize service to hospitals and emergency responders, and restore connectivity for communities cut off by flooding and debris. By adding a satellite fallback for messaging, the operator hopes to shrink communication blackouts that often persist in hard-hit pockets for days after major landfalls.

Smidts framed the collaboration as both immediate relief and a longer-term bet on resilience as extreme weather events increase in frequency and intensity. “We believe our collaboration with Starlink and their Direct to Cell business reflects a deep commitment to the Caribbean and to protecting Jamaicans, the economy, and our shared future,” she said.

Industry Context

Liberty Latin America, Liberty Caribbean’s parent company, operates across more than 20 markets in the region under brands including Flow and BTC. In recent years, the company has been accelerating fiber upgrades, 4G/5G coverage, and business services, positioning itself as a key connectivity backbone for Caribbean economies. Integrating satellite-to-phone capabilities adds a new dimension to that portfolio, especially for island geographies where single points of failure—submarine cables, hilltop towers, or mountain passes—can isolate communities during disasters.

Starlink, meanwhile, has rapidly expanded its constellation and partnerships with mobile network operators as Direct to Cell transitions from pilots toward broader commercial availability. While specific features and pricing depend on carrier agreements and national approvals, the core premise is that existing LTE smartphones can connect directly to satellites for basic services—no special handset required. That device-native approach could be crucial in emergencies, when people have only the phone in their pocket and power or transport are limited.

What Consumers Should Expect

For Flow customers in the hardest-hit areas, emergency satellite messaging is expected to prioritize basic text and essential communications, particularly where towers remain offline or backhaul routes are severed. Users should continue to follow official advisories, conserve battery, keep phones dry, and, where possible, send short texts rather than place calls to reduce network load. As terrestrial restoration advances, standard mobile services will resume, with the satellite layer remaining as a resilience measure in case of further disruptions. (Operational specifics may evolve as Liberty Caribbean and Starlink adjust capacity and coverage in the days ahead.)

The Bottom Line

Hurricane Melissa has underscored the vulnerability of island infrastructure—and the life-saving importance of communications—when the unthinkable happens. By tapping Starlink’s Direct to Cell as a backup path, Liberty Caribbean is attempting to shorten the period of digital isolation that often follows a catastrophic landfall. If successful, Jamaica’s experience may become a template for other Caribbean nations confronting stronger, wetter, and more frequent storms in a warming climate.

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