Governor Jenniffer González Colón announced Monday that all 78 municipalities and several emergency response agencies will receive 102 Starlink satellite communication systems to keep internet access when conventional networks fail during a disaster. She said the lesson of Hurricane María was that losing communications costs lives and paralyzes the state’s response, and that mayors and first responders will have a satellite network "without data limits" to coordinate aid.
The Starlink Standard 4X units were donated by the company and are valued at $35,598, so they carry no cost to the government. Data service will also be free to the government and municipalities during emergencies declared by the governor. The distribution includes one antenna for each of the 78 municipal emergency management offices, plus equipment for the 10 regional offices and the headquarters of the Emergency Management and Disaster Administration Bureau (NMEAD).
Systems will also go to the three call centers of the 9-1-1 Emergency Systems Bureau, the data center of the Puerto Rico Innovation and Technology Service Office (PRITS), the Family Socioeconomic Development Administration (ADSEF), the Puerto Rico Seismic Network, the Medical Services Administration (ASEM), the Department of Public Safety, La Fortaleza, and four units of the Telecommunications Bureau. The initiative was coordinated by the Puerto Rico Telecommunications Bureau (NET) after approval of Order Resolution NET-2026-RA-0001 and dealings with the Office of the Comptroller.