Right image via Jerad Williams //
Tech-billionaire Elon Musk is back in the headlines this Wednesday, however, instead of it being for another one of his controversial tweets, he’s decided to help out with Aussie flood relief…
Ask and you shall receive. That was all it took for local surfing legend Mick Fanning to get Elon Musk’s attention, the Goldie-residing surfer reaching out to Tesla CEO Elon Musk on Twitter for assistance with flood relief.
Writing online, his words echoed throughout the twitter-sphere, writing, “Elon Musk, we need help with the flood disaster in NSW, Australia. The people have no means of communication and really need your help! Can you help us with Starlink? How can we make it happen? Please share.”
You’d expect the plea to fall on deaf ears, for the Tesla CEO to be so caught up in his own hustles that flash-flooding down in Australia would be the last thing on his mind. But in a surprising turn of events, Musk sprung into action, quickly sending over a bunch of Starlink Rapid Deployment Kits to help supplement communication with the help of telecommunications provider NetVault, with more reportedly on the way.
@elonmusk We need help with the flood disaster in NSW, Australia. The people have no means of communication and really need your help! Can you help us with Starlink? How can we make it happen?
Please share
— Mick Fanning (@Mick_Fanning) March 6, 2022
Clocking in at approximately $10,000 each, each kit allows users to gain internet access through linking to Musk’s satellites in low-orbit. It’s pretty cutting-edge tech, and it’s already being deployed in flood affected areas, allowing displaced residents to connect with loved ones and emergency services. Check out images of it being put to use below.
After Mick Fanning put the call out to Elon Musk, telecommunications provider Netvault donated over 10 Starlink Rapid Deployment Kits (worth $10K) enabling some of the worst flood affected parts of the Northern Rivers to now contact family, friends and first responders! @nbnnews pic.twitter.com/Og8lSP30Vz
— Josephine Shannon (@Josie_Shannon_) March 8, 2022
Special thanks to Jean Renouf from Resilient Byron Group. Jean reached out to us to get emergency SpaceX Starlink terminals for the Byron region, which were delivered today. We're in talks with SpaceX to get more Starlink terminals for people in Lismore & Byron areas. #Starlink pic.twitter.com/ih5dzIEGM5
— NetVault (@NetVaultAus) March 7, 2022
We’ve donated 10 Starlink kits to assist with flood recovery efforts, arriving in Byron Bay this morning. These kits will have the new Starlink roaming feature enabled. This means the service is portable, & the Starlink units can be moved to other flood ravaged locations easily. pic.twitter.com/3wps5e02JM
— NetVault (@NetVaultAus) March 7, 2022
