RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — With telephone and fiber optic lines cut and most cellphone service out in the North Carolina mountains following Hurricane Helene flooding, areas are turning to other technologies to help with communication.
Asheville has been described by many on social media as a “blackout zone” for making calls, texting or accessing the internet. Other communities in many western North Carolina are also without reliable communications after fiber optic lines buried beside roads were damaged or cell towers were knocked offline.
In Asheville, some people have brought in Starlink satellite internet access and are allowing people to connect for free.
Elsewhere, such as Enka-Candler Fire Department Station 10 in Buncombe County, crews set up a Compact Rapid Deployable cell tower and internet access point.
The mini cellphone towers with a generator allow for cellphone coverage up to 2 miles and Wi-Fi range of up to 500 feet. The small towers use a high-speed Ka-Band satellite terminal to access the internet after the cell towers connect with end-user phones or computers.