Disconnected communities across East Tennessee get help from donated Starlink receivers

Residents of some remote areas in East Tennessee cut off from phone and internet access will soon be able to communicate with loved ones as they recover from Hurricane Helene. Ten Starlink receivers have been donated to cities ravaged by floods.

The receivers, operated by Elon Musk's SpaceX, connect remote communities connect to high-speed internet. U.S. Rep. Diana Harshbarger, who represents the northeastern corner of the state, said Oct 1 her staff delivered several to Newport, one to Mountain City, one to Roan Mountain and one to Erwin.

"That's the number one thing that I heard from people on the ground," Harshbarger said. "They're saying, 'We had to drive to Johnson City just to get communication.'"