The French government is banking on Starlink to reconnect Mayotte after Cyclone Chido. Following the considerable damage caused by this natural disaster to the archipelago’s telecommunications infrastructure, Prime Minister François Bayrou announced a series of emergency measures, including the massive deployment of Starlink terminals from the SpaceX group.
An emergency deployment of 200 Starlink terminals
Faced with the critical communications situation in Mayotte, the government decided to double its initial order to reach 200 Starlink terminals. This equipment, which provides access to the Internet via Elon Musk’s constellation of low-orbit satellites, will be gradually deployed throughout the country. The first fourteen installations are planned in the town halls of the communes of Grande-Terre, thus constituting strategic access points for the population.
This solution, although temporary, recalls the growing importance of Starlink in crisis situations. The service had already proven itself in Ukraine or during natural disasters in other regions of the world. Note that the iPhone 14 and newer models can now communicate directly with satellites in an emergency, a feature that could prove valuable in this type of situation.
Beyond this emergency response, François Bayrou presented a longer-term digital infrastructure modernization program. The objective is to provide the archipelago with 5G coverage and a fiber optic network within two years. However, Starlink could be a good long-term solution: light, versatile and not requiring work. We’ll see what the government ultimately decides, but the call to Starlink shows the credibility of Elon Musk’s system.
