Tag: 3BL

In the third installment of ESG Talk’s Climate Week series, Frank Koch, CEO of Swiss Steel Group, and Alberto Carrillo Pineda, CTO of the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), join Mandi McReynolds to discuss long-term decarbonization strategies, the steel industry’s commitment to sustainable production, and the importance of full emissions transparency.

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ESG Talk is brought to you by Workiva, the world’s only unified platform for financial reporting, ESG, audit, and risk. Learn more at workiva.com.

NRG Energy’s 2023 Sustainability Report highlights the company’s commitment to facilitating an intentional energy transition and our continued dedication to corporate sustainability, governance, and, most importantly, our customers. The report spotlights key strategies and initiatives that further our sustainability agenda across the organization.

Key takeaways include:

58% decrease in GHG emissions from our 2014 base year, equivalent to 24 million metric tons of CO2$7.2 MM in donations, relief efforts, grants, and employee-matched donationsTop decile safety performance54% Board of Directors’ ethnic or gender diversityRecipient of HRO Today’s Talent Acquisition Leader of the Year, Lifetime Achievement

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Chevalier Gray
832-763-3454

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For most students attending college, a reliable internet connection is something they can count on. For students attending Claflin University, a small Historically Black College and University (HBCU) located in rural Orangeburg, South Carolina, reliable broadband access was more than a challenge, it was impacting the university’s ability to deliver a high-quality education, and residents in surrounding communities didn’t have reliable access to important online services such as education and healthcare.

Broadband challenges in rural South Carolina

Orangeburg has a population of around 13,300 residents. 21.9% of households are without Internet access, 14% of residents lack a smartphone, computer, or tablet, and more than 34% of Orangeburg’s residents live below the poverty line. For students attending the university, they found connectivity was intermittent at best and often non-existent in dormitories or on the yard. The COVID-19 pandemic further highlighted these issues, revealing a myriad of challenges the school faced in educating its students remotely.

“When I first arrived at Claflin, we were in the middle of what you would call a broadband desert”, said Dr. Arthur Doctor, dean of students at Claflin University. “Our students were struggling to have access to academic resources, but also, just being able to be a connected campus community, there were some struggles.”

Born and raised in South Carolina, Dr. Doctor knows firsthand the connectivity challenges facing the region, and as a life-long educator he knew the impact the lack of broadband was having on his students’ ability to attain a quality educational experience and access opportunities such as internships and jobs.

A model partnership

When the opportunity to work with Cisco and its ecosystem of partners to include Student Freedom Initiative to deploy 5G/LTE services on the campus and in the surrounding community, Dr. Doctor knew it would be transformational for the Claflin University Campus, its immediate neighbor South Carolina State University and nearby residents.

“We partnered with Cisco to launch an ambitious pilot program that will allow us to really connect our campus community in ways we’ve never been connected before, not only impacting our students and our administrators, but a nearby HBCU. And most importantly, the Orangeburg community that we’ve been entrenched in since 1869.” said, Doctor. “Bridging the divide is more about people. It’s about being able to connect them and Wi-Fi is at the core of that. As a society that’s geared by technology, being able to have Claflin connected with the Orangeburg community through this partnership is transformative.”

The pilot program, supported by Cisco’s Country Digital Acceleration program funded a private 5G network for Claflin University, with the intent of addressing the connectivity divide for both the campus and the surrounding residential community that lacked high-speed internet access, many of which couldn’t afford the service.

In addition to deploying 5G/LTE, Cisco conducted a NIST assessment to ensure the school was eligible to receive critical Title IV funding and donated $1.7 million in equipment and services as part of its IT modernization program. Cisco is also providing training to the school’s IT staff, plans to offer upskilling through its Networking Academy and implemented a student help desk to provide community support. Claflin hosted the inaugural Cisco Cyber Security Resilience workshop on their campus designed to train students for jobs in the cyber security field.

Securing a brighter future

The partnership between Claflin and Cisco has become a model for HBCUs across the country. For Claflin students, the future is bright. They now have access to more academic opportunities than ever before and can reliably connect to home and other support systems. Instructors and administrators can provide necessary resources to students, both in person and remotely and connectivity to the local community and neighboring institutions will be greatly improved. This sustainable model will support the university and community well into the future.

“I see myself each and every day in our students. And it really has allowed me to be passionate about the work that I’m able to do. When I’m here late at night or on the weekends, it really just makes me smile to see that they’re having an experience that they can look back on as one that’s been positive and impacted them in a tremendous way.”

For more information:

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With congestion, pollution and not enough resources, today’s cities face significant challenges. Despite that, they are still growing. The United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 11 addresses issues such as population growth, resource management and consumption as it seeks to make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable. This month, TCS and partner, global analytics software leader FICO, are calling on students aged 6-17 to answer that call through the goIT Monthly Challenge for September, Thriving Cities. The competition offers students the chance to compete for recognition and prizes when they submit their ideas for ensuring cities are places where people can prosper and thrive.

According to the World Bank, about 56% of the world’s population – 4.4 billion inhabitants – live in cities, a trend expected to continue through 2050. At that point, the World Bank says urban population will have doubled, with nearly 7 of 10 people living in cities. This accelerated growth will increase demand for affordable housing, basic services, jobs, transport systems and viable infrastructure. It also makes life difficult for residents.

“TCS has a deep concern about urban dysfunction because it most negatively affects people experiencing poverty,” said John DiChiara, Global lead – TCS goIT program. “Since the world needs all the good ideas young people can bring, participating with goIT in the search for solutions will be time well spent. We appreciate FICO’s partnership on this important program.”

“At FICO, we’re passionate about using data and analytics to solve some of the world’s toughest challenges,” said Irshad Raihan, Vice President of product marketing and corporate communications at FICO. “We are proud to support young visionaries through the TCS goIT Monthly Challenge and look forward to seeing the creative solutions that contribute to building more equitable communities.”

Students are encouraged to generate and present ideas for digital innovations that can make cities more liveable, sustainable and successful at serving their residents. Among many other possibilities, participants could explore strategies to improve financial literacy, employment, inclusivity or safety, or to ensure resiliency in the face of a natural disaster. All entries should demonstrate support for the UN’s SDG 11 and will be judged by industry professionals. Participating students (individuals or teams) in the virtual challenge will compete for prizes, mentoring, future recognition, and more.

The submission deadline is September 30, 2024.

To learn more about the goIT Monthly Challenge and to enter, visit on.tcs.com/goIT-ENG.

About TCS goIT Digital Innovation and Career Readiness Program 

TCS’ Go Innovate Together program (goIT) is TCS’ flagship STEM education program. Focusing on digital innovation and career readiness, goIT engages students from diverse backgrounds with Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) subjects and computer science, design thinking and digital innovation. The program offers an industry-developed, customizable curriculum that teaches students the 21st century skills necessary for a career in technology. Lessons cover topics including design thinking, rapid prototyping, artificial intelligence, machine learning and more.

Since the launch of the goIT Monthly Challenge in 2020, thousands of students across the globe have used key principles from goIT to design tech-based solutions and submit pitch videos based on a Monthly Challenge theme. Each month, TCS co-hosts the event with a Sustainable Development Goal ambassador, globally minded nonprofit or a TCS client. The Challenge has engaged a growing number of teachers and students every month, exploring topics ranging from gender equality and systemic racism to protecting life under water.

Visit the goIT Monthly Challenge competition website to learn how to enter — or get your students involved — with this or upcoming challenges: https://on.tcs.com/goIT-ENG.

About Tata Consultancy Services (TCS)

Tata Consultancy Services is an IT services, consulting and business solutions organization that has been partnering with many of the world’s largest businesses in their transformation journeys for over 56 years. Its consulting-led, cognitive powered, portfolio of business, technology and engineering services and solutions is delivered through its unique Location Independent Agile™ delivery model, recognized as a benchmark of excellence in software development.

A part of the Tata group, India’s largest multinational business group, TCS has over 601,000 of the world’s best-trained consultants in 55 countries. The company generated consolidated revenues of US $29 billion in the fiscal year ended March 31, 2024, and is listed on the BSE and the NSE in India. TCS’ proactive stance on climate change and award-winning work with communities across the world have earned it a place in leading sustainability indices such as the MSCI Global Sustainability Index and the FTSE4Good Emerging Index. For more information, visit www.tcs.com

About FICO 

FICO (NYSE: FICO) powers decisions that help people and businesses around the world prosper. Founded in 1956, the company is a pioneer in the use of predictive analytics and data science to improve operational decisions. FICO holds more than 200 US and foreign patents on technologies that increase profitability, customer satisfaction and growth for businesses in financial services, insurance, telecommunications, health care, retail and many other industries. Using FICO solutions, businesses in more than 100 countries do everything from protecting 4 billion payment cards from fraud, to improving financial inclusion, to increasing supply chain resiliency. The FICO® Score, used by 90% of top US lenders, is the standard measure of consumer credit risk in the US and has been made available in over 40 other countries, improving risk management, credit access and transparency.

Learn more at https://www.fico.com/en .

Join the conversation at https://x.com/FICO_corp & https://www.fico.com/blogs/

For FICO news and media resources, visit https://www.fico.com/en/newsroom.

FICO is a registered trademark of Fair Isaac Corporation in the U.S. and other countries.

Close to a third of all food produced for human consumption is lost or wasted. That’s why we’re focused on key actions across our Company-owned manufacturing sites to reduce and eliminate food waste.

First, we have in place effective governance procedures that help us identify wastage hot spots and focus on the biggest losses incurred during production. This enables us to create ever-better process capabilities for reduction of waste.

We then apply proven Lean Six Sigma practices, using leading engineering and digital solutions. We continually track performance, enabling us to intervene quickly when corrective actions are needed. Within our manufacturing teams, we are continuously working to identify opportunities and course correct our practices.

2023 IN REVIEW

During the last year, we focused our key waste-related sustainability initiatives on making our production lines more efficient. We tracked waste trends every month, analyzing them to identify the best opportunities for reduction across all processes and geographies.

In addition to our 2025 goal of reducing food waste in internal manufacturing by approximately 15% (compared to our 2018 baseline) and individual goals across our regions, our businesses and sites keep us focused on continuous improvement in areas like waste generated, waste treated and waste to landfill. While our primary focus is on food waste, we also analyzed all our waste management throughout the year to identify and act on all major opportunities.

In 2023, this approach drove down food waste at our manufacturing sites by about (28)%– well ahead of our 2025 goal of approximately 15%. We also delivered about a (69)% reduction in food waste from distribution, surpassing our approximately 50% goal for 2025 (against our 2018 baseline).

For instance, our Sri-City plant in India initiated a multi-pronged approach with a tight governance mechanism to significantly reduce food waste. The approach leveraged IL6S methodology to identify waste generation sources and involved a loss analysis to improve process performance with reduced variability.

Our Richmond bakery plant in the U.S. achieved food waste reduction driven by more than 65 productivity projects that contributed to the improvement in waste reduction.

In Brazil, our Curitiba plant drove multiple scrap reduction and compost reprocessing flow optimization projects which have together resulted in a reduction of more than hundreds of metric tonnes of food waste compared to previous year. Also in Brazil, our Recife plant focused on scrap reduction in the wafer and cookie lines delivering waste reduction.

STOPPING GOOD FOOD GOING TO WASTE

In 2023, our Philadelphia brand partnered with the innovative Too Good To Go app to help shoppers in Austria, Germany, Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland buy food right before it goes to waste. We identified an opportunity and worked together to address the uncertainty often caused by the best-before date (BBD), printing the “Often Good After” logo on our packaging.

We also co-created social media videos in Germany encouraging people to LOOK, SMELL, TASTE before throwing away anything unnecessarily.

In Sweden, we’re also donating surplus products to Matmissionen Supermarkets, which are then sold at a reduced price to economically vulnerable consumers.

FUTURE OUTLOOK

At Mondelēz International, we continue our path towards food waste elimination by leveraging our business programs in food waste prevention and reduction with key collaborators. This focused effort has allowed us to achieve and exceed in 2023 our 2025 goal.

View the full 2023 Snacking Made Right Report

Close to a third of all food produced for human consumption is lost or wasted. That’s why we’re focused on key actions across our Company-owned manufacturing sites to reduce and eliminate food waste.

First, we have in place effective governance procedures that help us identify wastage hot spots and focus on the biggest losses incurred during production. This enables us to create ever-better process capabilities for reduction of waste.

We then apply proven Lean Six Sigma practices, using leading engineering and digital solutions. We continually track performance, enabling us to intervene quickly when corrective actions are needed. Within our manufacturing teams, we are continuously working to identify opportunities and course correct our practices.

2023 IN REVIEW

During the last year, we focused our key waste-related sustainability initiatives on making our production lines more efficient. We tracked waste trends every month, analyzing them to identify the best opportunities for reduction across all processes and geographies.

In addition to our 2025 goal of reducing food waste in internal manufacturing by approximately 15% (compared to our 2018 baseline) and individual goals across our regions, our businesses and sites keep us focused on continuous improvement in areas like waste generated, waste treated and waste to landfill. While our primary focus is on food waste, we also analyzed all our waste management throughout the year to identify and act on all major opportunities.

In 2023, this approach drove down food waste at our manufacturing sites by about (28)%– well ahead of our 2025 goal of approximately 15%. We also delivered about a (69)% reduction in food waste from distribution, surpassing our approximately 50% goal for 2025 (against our 2018 baseline).

For instance, our Sri-City plant in India initiated a multi-pronged approach with a tight governance mechanism to significantly reduce food waste. The approach leveraged IL6S methodology to identify waste generation sources and involved a loss analysis to improve process performance with reduced variability.

Our Richmond bakery plant in the U.S. achieved food waste reduction driven by more than 65 productivity projects that contributed to the improvement in waste reduction.

In Brazil, our Curitiba plant drove multiple scrap reduction and compost reprocessing flow optimization projects which have together resulted in a reduction of more than hundreds of metric tonnes of food waste compared to previous year. Also in Brazil, our Recife plant focused on scrap reduction in the wafer and cookie lines delivering waste reduction.

STOPPING GOOD FOOD GOING TO WASTE

In 2023, our Philadelphia brand partnered with the innovative Too Good To Go app to help shoppers in Austria, Germany, Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland buy food right before it goes to waste. We identified an opportunity and worked together to address the uncertainty often caused by the best-before date (BBD), printing the “Often Good After” logo on our packaging.

We also co-created social media videos in Germany encouraging people to LOOK, SMELL, TASTE before throwing away anything unnecessarily.

In Sweden, we’re also donating surplus products to Matmissionen Supermarkets, which are then sold at a reduced price to economically vulnerable consumers.

FUTURE OUTLOOK

At Mondelēz International, we continue our path towards food waste elimination by leveraging our business programs in food waste prevention and reduction with key collaborators. This focused effort has allowed us to achieve and exceed in 2023 our 2025 goal.

View the full 2023 Snacking Made Right Report

September 12, 2024 /3BL/ – This is the fifth in a series of Q & As with the Ceres experts who are engaging with companies to decarbonize six of the highest-emitting sectors of the economy. Click here to read the previous Q & A.

Q: Why is the decarbonization of the food sector so important? How can it be achieved?

Food production is responsible for approximately one-third of all global greenhouse gas emissions. Most are a result of the industry’s supply chains—from growing crops to feeding and raising livestock. Avoiding the worst impacts of climate change requires we decarbonize the way we feed ourselves.

To accomplish this, we need food companies to first look at their supply chains, set science-based targets, then develop climate transition action plans to lay out exactly how they plan to meet those targets.

Q: Where do you see the biggest challenges?

While there are food companies developing transition plans, the industry needs to act with more urgency. Our most recent benchmark analysis of many of the largest North American food companies engaged in the Ceres Food Emissions 50 initiative spotlight opportunities for more action.

One key area: synching the company’s growth and innovation strategies with its climate goals. Our recent report shows that while more businesses are analyzing risks and opportunities, most aren’t taking actions to manage those risks by reducing emissions from existing agricultural practices or seizing the opportunities in accelerating new technologies. Only a handful of companies are providing support and financial incentives to help the farmers they work adopt sustainable farming practices.

Q: What are the biggest successes you have seen in recent months to move the sector closer to the goal of limiting warming to 1.5 C?

More companies are sharing details about their emissions and how they plan to reduce them. The latest Food Emissions 50 Company Benchmark found that 37 out of the 50 companies have reported their supply chain emissions and 32 of them have set targets to reduce those emissions. Just three years ago, when we launched the initiative, only a few companies disclosed scope 3 emissions from their supply chain and corresponding 1.5°C-aligned science-based targets. This is encouraging. Being able to measure climate strategies helps investors and other external stakeholders hold a company accountable for reducing emissions and the company assess and adjust its progress over time. Hopefully, more companies will follow and report their own transition plan, now that they’ve seen it’s possible.

Q: Are there any upcoming projects, regulations and/or initiatives that you are most excited to see that will aid in moving the sector towards greater sustainability?

One area where my team and I are ramping up our work is in addressing methane from meat and milk production as livestock represent around 58% of total emissions for food companies.

Ceres supports investors who are working with companies on reducing these methane emissions under our Food Emissions 50 initiative. We also support the Dairy Methane Action Alliance, a global initiative that aims to reduce methane across the dairy sector. Ceres is providing that initiative with technical guidance on how to incorporate reducing methane into climate transition action planning as well as helping ensure companies are making progress against key plan milestones. I am also excited that we will be releasing our first public agricultural methane-focused report early next year.

Q: What drew you to your work in the food sector?

I’m an avid gardener, and I have always loved plants and soil. That led me to pursue my graduate degree in plant and soil science – the “roots” of how food is produced – which sparked my interest in researching the issues associated with today’s large-scale agricultural systems. I’m also drawn to big challenges. And the food sector is facing the immense challenge of feeding a growing planet of nearly 8 billion people. We need to figure out how to enable that growth without causing irreparable harm to the climate and the natural ecosystems that underpin food production.

Read more about some of the work being done at Ceres to decarbonize the food sector. 

Originally published by the San Diego Police Foundation

The San Diego Police Foundation, a non-profit serving first responders of the San Diego Police Department, today announced it has received a grant from the Motorola Solutions Foundation, the charitable arm of Motorola Solutions.

Through this grant, the San Diego Police Foundation will provide funding for the Women in Blue Initiative, which advances best practices in policing by advocating for increased representation of women in law enforcement, particularly in leadership positions. Women in Blue represents a longstanding commitment to promoting and funding the recruitment of female officers and enabling access to training, mentoring, networking, and career advancement opportunities. One of these opportunities includes providing full scholarships for fifty SDPD personnel to attend the 2024 Women Leaders in Law Enforcement Conference (WLLE). Scholarship recipients include rising female law enforcement leaders and male colleagues interested in furthering the cause of women in policing. WLLE is a three-day conference and training symposium that brings together law enforcement professionals in a supportive and empowering environment, enabling them to learn from the knowledge and experience of others.

“The needle is moving,” stated Sara Napoli, President, and CEO of the San Diego Police Foundation. “Since the inception of the Women in Blue Initiative, SDPD has increased the number of females sworn to nearly 17% and as a result, exceeds the national average of 12%. Yet, more effort and awareness are needed to achieve gender parity as police departments operate best when they reflect the communities they serve.”

The Motorola Solutions Foundation, which has donated more than $100 million over the past 10 years, focuses its giving on three key areas: first responder programming, technology and engineering education and programs that blend the two. The Foundation has a long-standing commitment to supporting programs that benefit underrepresented and underserved populations and aims to partner with organizations that align to its values of accountability, innovation, impact, diversity and inclusion.

“Every day the San Diego Police Foundation makes a meaningful difference within the community, and the Motorola Solutions Foundation is honored to partner with them as they continue to expand their impact,” said Karem Pérez, vice president of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and executive director of the Motorola Solutions Foundation. “We are incredibly proud of the San Diego Police Foundation, the programs they have brought to life and the individuals they have positively affected.”

For additional information on the Motorola Solutions Foundation grants program, visit: motorolasolutions.com/foundation-grant-partner.

For more information on the San Diego Police Foundation, visit: sd police foundation.org.

About the San Diego Police Foundation

Founded in 1998, the San Diego Police Foundation proudly supports the San Diego Police Department by cultivating positive community engagement and helping fund vital equipment and specialized training to ensure peace and safety for all.

About the Motorola Solutions Foundation

As the charitable and philanthropic arm of Motorola Solutions, the Motorola Solutions Foundation partners with organizations around the world to create safer cities and equitable, thriving communities. We focus on giving back through strategic grants, employee volunteerism and other community investment initiatives. Our strategic grants program supports organizations that offer first responder programming and technology and engineering education, and align to our values of accountability, innovation, impact, diversity and inclusion. The Foundation is one of the many ways in which the company is solving for safer communities. For more information on the Foundation, visit: www.motorolasolutions.com/foundation

Originally published by the San Diego Police Foundation

The San Diego Police Foundation, a non-profit serving first responders of the San Diego Police Department, today announced it has received a grant from the Motorola Solutions Foundation, the charitable arm of Motorola Solutions.

Through this grant, the San Diego Police Foundation will provide funding for the Women in Blue Initiative, which advances best practices in policing by advocating for increased representation of women in law enforcement, particularly in leadership positions. Women in Blue represents a longstanding commitment to promoting and funding the recruitment of female officers and enabling access to training, mentoring, networking, and career advancement opportunities. One of these opportunities includes providing full scholarships for fifty SDPD personnel to attend the 2024 Women Leaders in Law Enforcement Conference (WLLE). Scholarship recipients include rising female law enforcement leaders and male colleagues interested in furthering the cause of women in policing. WLLE is a three-day conference and training symposium that brings together law enforcement professionals in a supportive and empowering environment, enabling them to learn from the knowledge and experience of others.

“The needle is moving,” stated Sara Napoli, President, and CEO of the San Diego Police Foundation. “Since the inception of the Women in Blue Initiative, SDPD has increased the number of females sworn to nearly 17% and as a result, exceeds the national average of 12%. Yet, more effort and awareness are needed to achieve gender parity as police departments operate best when they reflect the communities they serve.”

The Motorola Solutions Foundation, which has donated more than $100 million over the past 10 years, focuses its giving on three key areas: first responder programming, technology and engineering education and programs that blend the two. The Foundation has a long-standing commitment to supporting programs that benefit underrepresented and underserved populations and aims to partner with organizations that align to its values of accountability, innovation, impact, diversity and inclusion.

“Every day the San Diego Police Foundation makes a meaningful difference within the community, and the Motorola Solutions Foundation is honored to partner with them as they continue to expand their impact,” said Karem Pérez, vice president of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and executive director of the Motorola Solutions Foundation. “We are incredibly proud of the San Diego Police Foundation, the programs they have brought to life and the individuals they have positively affected.”

For additional information on the Motorola Solutions Foundation grants program, visit: motorolasolutions.com/foundation-grant-partner.

For more information on the San Diego Police Foundation, visit: sd police foundation.org.

About the San Diego Police Foundation

Founded in 1998, the San Diego Police Foundation proudly supports the San Diego Police Department by cultivating positive community engagement and helping fund vital equipment and specialized training to ensure peace and safety for all.

About the Motorola Solutions Foundation

As the charitable and philanthropic arm of Motorola Solutions, the Motorola Solutions Foundation partners with organizations around the world to create safer cities and equitable, thriving communities. We focus on giving back through strategic grants, employee volunteerism and other community investment initiatives. Our strategic grants program supports organizations that offer first responder programming and technology and engineering education, and align to our values of accountability, innovation, impact, diversity and inclusion. The Foundation is one of the many ways in which the company is solving for safer communities. For more information on the Foundation, visit: www.motorolasolutions.com/foundation

T-Mobile Starlink satellite-to-smartphone technology to bring critical emergency alerts to 500,000+ square miles of land currently unreachable with earth-based cell towers

Emergency alerts will work for everyone – even Verizon, AT&T and other wireless provider customers will receive critical emergency alerts

BELLEVUE, Wash., September 12, 2024 /3BL/ — Hurricanes, tornadoes, fires – the type of catastrophic events that often trigger a wireless emergency alert – don’t care about wireless coverage zones. Soon it won’t matter.

Today, T-Mobile (NASDAQ: TMUS) announced that it successfully sent and received – for the first time ever in the U.S. – a wireless emergency alert (WEA) via satellite. The breakthrough opens up the 500,000 square miles of lightly populated, mountainous and/or uninhabitable land across the country to critical, life-saving emergency alerts.

“This is one of those days, as the CEO of a wireless company, that makes me pause for a moment and reflect on how technology advancements and the work we’re doing is truly impacting life and death situations,” said Mike Sievert, CEO, T-Mobile.

At 5:13 PM PT on Thursday, September 5th, T-Mobile initiated a test alert for a hypothetical evacuation notice. The alert was sent 217 miles into space where it was received by one of the more than 175 Starlink direct-to-smartphone satellites currently in low earth orbit that effectively function as cell towers in space. The alert was then broadcast to a geographic area impacted by the hypothetical evacuation notice and received by a T-Mobile smartphone.

In total, it took emergency operators just seconds to queue up an emergency message and deliver that message via Starlink satellites to users on the ground.

The life-saving benefits of satellite-enabled WEAs are immense. Take the 2018 Camp Fire in Northern California as an example. The fire, which ultimately burned more than 150,000 acres, forced the evacuation of 52,000 people, destroyed 19,000 structures including most of the city of Paradise and, most devastatingly, took 86 lives, erupted in the rural Sierra Nevada mountains.

Those who lived, worked or played off the cellular network grid – relatively common in lightly populated areas with significant elevation changes – had no access to emergency alerts due to lack of wireless service coverage. The fire also took out a reported 17 cell towers on the first day of the fire and 66 total during the first two weeks of the blaze making communications – with first responders or loved ones – nearly impossible for many.

T-Mobile and Starlink, with more than 175 direct-to-smartphone satellites currently in low-earth orbit, are currently testing satellite-to-smartphone service. Additional SpaceX launches are scheduled over the coming months to add more satellites to the current constellation, further blanketing the country with wireless coverage. As that happens, T-Mobile intends to beta test the service before launching it commercially.

Follow @TMobileNews on X, formerly known as Twitter, to stay up to date with the latest company news.

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About T-Mobile 
T-Mobile US, Inc. (NASDAQ: TMUS) is America’s supercharged Un-carrier, delivering an advanced 4G LTE and transformative nationwide 5G network that will offer reliable connectivity for all. T-Mobile’s customers benefit from its unmatched combination of value and quality, unwavering obsession with offering them the best possible service experience and undisputable drive for disruption that creates competition and innovation in wireless and beyond. Based in Bellevue, Wash., T-Mobile provides services through its subsidiaries and operates its flagship brands, T-Mobile, Metro by T-Mobile and Sprint. For more information please visit: https://www.t-mobile.com

Media Contacts 
T-Mobile US, Inc. Media Relations 
MediaRelations@t-mobile.com

Investor Relations Contact 
T-Mobile US, Inc. 
investor.relations@t-mobile.com 
https://investor.t-mobile.com