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Elon Musk’s Neuralink is a last chance at a normal life for some
Kate Kegans doesn’t own a Tesla or any other products from Elon Musk’s many entities. Still, his Neuralink program could be her last chance at a normal life after experiencing vision impairments nearly nine years ago.
“I started having double vision, especially when I looked down,” Kegans said about her initial symptoms in 2011. “I went to my ophthalmologist. He goofed around with contact lenses for a year with no improvement, so my General Physician recommended a specialist.” An MRI revealed a cavernous malformation on her brain stem, which sent her to a Brain and Spine specialist in Phoenix, Arizona.
After having one resection of the malformation in 2011, the issues didn’t resurface for three years, until the doctor who performed the first surgery performed another one in 2015. However, the 2015 surgery didn’t go all the way to completion after “unfavorable conditions” aborted the effort once the surgery began.
Kate then underwent a third surgery to attempt the resection of the cavernous malformation in July 2018. While doctors called this surgery a success, Kegans has not lived a normal life since. After the surgery, she began experiencing symptoms that came to be recognized as signs of complete hemi-body dysesthesia, which included freezing and burning sensations on the right side of her body, and the inability to feel temperature changes on that side, making her prone to burns and scalds.
“Honestly, at this point, I wish I had not done the procedure, and dealt with the ‘ticking time bomb’ instead,” she said. As a result, Kegans has been forced to look at nearly every option due to relatively no improvement in her condition.
“I have tried extensive surgical procedures to ‘fix’ this,” she told Teslarati. Kegans then outlined the extensive list of treatments that have come to no resolve for her issues. Everything from Deep Brain Stimulation (the process of sending electrical impulses to specific targets in the brain), an Intrathecal Catheter with PRIALT (a pump placed in the body with a direct line that delivers medication into the spinal fluid), multiple cingulotomies (a surgery where tissue in the anterior cingulate region of the brain is altered, creating a lesion), Gamma Knife Radiation (surgery that destroys precisely selected areas of tissue by using radiation and not a blade), and a mesencephalotomy (an ablative procedure which lesions the pain pathways at the midbrain level to treat pain), all have had no effect on her condition.
In fact, one surgery disrupted her vision, an issue that was eventually fixed with another episode that took Kegans under the knife in November 2019. After it was fixed, the mesencephalotomy, which took place in July 2020, disrupted her vision once again. After having another surgery just eight weeks ago to improve her vision, she states that it still has not been fixed.
After trying a non-surgical route through various medications, including ketamine infusions, medicinal marijuana, gabapentin, and naltrexone, Kegans has one more option, as she says she is desperate. “I am willing to try anything to get back to normal.”
Enter: Neuralink
In August 2020, Elon Musk unveiled the “Link v0.9,” Neuralink’s latest and greatest implant device aimed to begin the surge toward curing various neurological diseases. A few sassy pigs with Neuralink chips implanted in their brains were among the first publicly unveiled test subjects. One, in particular, Gertrude, was a great example of how Neuralink could be used to battle various neurological diseases, including the loss of limb function.
Elon Musk’s Neuralink unveils sleek V0.9 device, uses sassy pigs for live brain machine demo
The Neuralink implant was able to predict all the limb movements based on the neural activity that was being read. With all of the improvements and developments in the Neuralink chip, many became believers in Musk’s most recent endeavor. One of them, a friend of Kegans, who sent her information about the pigs from the demonstration.
“My friend, who is a nurse, sent me an article on Neuralink. They said that human trials would eventually start,” Kegans said.
Neuralink has a handful of problems that it plans to solve on the neurological spectrum of injuries. Everything from memory loss, to blindness, to paralysis, to seizures will be a target for the chip. Another one is extreme pain, something that Kegans experiences on a daily basis, and it has affected her ability to live a normal life for years.
“I am 57 years old,” she said. “I used to be very active, and I need help returning to a normal life. I have zero quality of life now, and I am willing to try anything to get back to normal.”
FDA Designation, and what lies ahead for Neuralink’s possible patients
In July, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) gave Neuralink a “breakthrough device” designation, allowing the company to continue working with its Link v0.9. Eventually, the device could be sewn deeper into the brain, allowing for a wider variety of functions beyond the upper cortex. Some of the issues that could be solved would deal with addiction, depression, and motor function.
As of now, human trials are the next step for Neuralink to make some real noise in the medical sector. On February 1st, Musk gave an update regarding Neuralink’s development with the FDA, where he indicated the company was in constant communication with the federal agency to ensure implant safety.
Neuralink is working super hard to ensure implant safety & is in close communication with the FDA. If things go well, we might be able to do initial human trials later this year.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 1, 2021
After stating that human trials could begin as soon as this year, several people, Kegans included, reached out to talk about the possibility of being included in the first Neuralink trials. While no details are known yet, there are plenty of people out there who have been affected by severe brain injuries that have negatively altered their lives. Neuralink could be the key to eventually making neurological disorders a thing of the past, especially as the company plans to create a chip that will be affordable for virtually everyone.
Elon Musk
Elon Musk roasts India’s billionaire Mukesh Ambani as Starlink fight heats up
Elon Musk sarcastically calls Mukesh Ambani ‘Prime Minister’ as the Starlink India standoff escalates again.
Elon Musk escalated his public fight over Starlink’s launch in India on Friday, addressing Reliance chairman Mukesh Ambani as “Prime Minister Ambani” in a sarcastic post on X. “Please accept my humble apologies for not realizing that you are the real boss of India,” Musk wrote, before accusing Ambani of “monopolistic exploitation” and asking whether he would “consider allowing Starlink to compete.” In follow up posts, he said Starlink has proven essential during natural disasters and would help parts of India with no internet access.
The post came two days into a fight that Musk sparked up on Wednesday, when he said Starlink was “being blocked by certain oligarchs in order to maintain their monopolistic chokehold on the Indian people.” He called it “a crime against the people of India” and left the names out, adding only, “You can guess who they are.” Jio and Airtel together hold more than 80% of India’s telecom market. On Thursday, Musk asked whether Ambani is “the real boss of India” and said Starlink has spent five years complying with “every single law and requirement” of the Indian government.
Dear Prime Minister Ambani,
Please accept my humble apologies for not realizing that you are the real boss of India.
Naturally, you would prefer to maintain your monopolistic exploitation of the great people of India, but would you nonetheless consider allowing Starlink to compete?
There are many areas of India, as there are in all countries, with no Internet access, which denies children the opportunity for education and for small businesses the opportunity to sell their goods to a global market. Starlink would change their lives for the better.
Thank you 🙏
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 9, 2026
India’s government has pushed back each time. The Ministry of Communications called the suggestion that its framework is unfair or discriminatory “baseless and misconceived.” Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said Friday that three companies hold satcom licenses: Starlink, Jio Satellite Communications, and Bharti backed Eutelsat OneWeb. Amazon’s Kuiper, now Amazon Leo, is still going through the process. None can launch until regulators finalize satellite spectrum pricing and the Home Ministry signs off on each company’s security compliance. Scindia said the telecom regulator and the Department of Telecommunications are close to a decision on pricing, The Hindu reported. Bharti chairman Sunil Mittal also said OneWeb is still waiting on approvals.
Starlink received its operator license in 2025 after a three year wait, and the space regulator IN-SPACe granted what industry executives called the last approval needed in July. The holdup since then centers on security, particularly concern that foreign operators could bypass Indian gateways.
Musk and Ambani have been on opposite sides of this before. In late 2024, Ambani argued for auctioning satellite spectrum, which Musk criticized as out of step with the rest of the world, and India chose administrative allocation instead. By March 2025, the two sides had signed a deal to sell Starlink devices in Reliance stores, and Starlink secured its telecom license that June. That partner is now also a competitor. Jio is reportedly weighing a constellation of 1,600 to 1,650 satellites costing an estimated $10 billion to $15 billion, while Akash Ambani has told shareholders Jio plans to lease capacity from global providers to move quickly.
Elon Musk
Elon Musk’s surprise addition to the X Takeover lineup has fans talking
Elon Musk will join Saturday’s X Takeover at Giga Texas for a live virtual interview.
Elon Musk will join X Takeover at Giga Texas on Saturday for a live virtual interview, according to Sawyer Merritt, who shared the news late Thursday. Musk will not be on stage in Austin. The conversation is set to stream for free on the @teslaownersSV account on X.
Organizers had kept expectations in check. In a September update, Tesla Owners Silicon Valley said Musk had appeared at the event twice before but was not promising a third appearance, even as fans hoped he would walk the Giga Texas grounds in person. A virtual spot matches 2024, when Musk gave a surprise interview of about an hour to the crowd in San Luis Obispo, as Teslarati reported at the time.
Wasn’t expecting this 🫡
— Tesla Owners Silicon Valley (@teslaownersSV) October 9, 2026
This year’s edition is a first in several ways. It is the first X Takeover held outside California and the first at a Tesla facility, with tickets selling out in eight days. Tesla provides the venue, but the event is produced independently by Tesla Owners Silicon Valley. The main event runs from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. CT, followed by a drone and light show at 9 p.m. Maye Musk is the keynote speaker, Franz von Holzhausen is set for a virtual keynote, and Nicki Minaj is the special guest. Joe Tegtmeyer, whose drone footage Teslarati used to track the Optimus factory steel frame at Giga Texas, is also on the speaker list.
Musk’s interview topics have not been revealed, but the backdrop is busy. Tesla doubled its Cybercab fleet in Austin in late September, and last week Musk explained why Robotaxi hours only moved from 10 p.m. to 11 p.m.. Merritt also reported Thursday that Texas DMV records now show 319 registered Cybercabs, up from 169. NHTSA’s deadline for Tesla’s sworn answers on Cybercab certification is October 30, and Tesla reports third quarter earnings on October 21.
Fans who cannot make it to Austin can watch the livestream on X. Musk tends to say more in unscripted settings than he does in prepared remarks, which is the reason this one is worth having open on Saturday.
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It’s official: SpaceX takes aim at Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile
SpaceX is buying 800 MHz spectrum from Grain to turn Starlink Mobile into a carrier.
SpaceX has agreed to buy a nationwide block of low band wireless spectrum, a deal the company says will let Starlink Mobile operate as a full US carrier rather than a satellite add-on for someone else’s network.
The company announced the agreement on X on Thursday afternoon, saying it will “pave the way for @Starlink to become a major mobile carrier in the US.” The seller is Grain Management, a private investment firm that confirmed in a statement that SpaceX will acquire 100% of its nationwide 800 MHz portfolio. That covers up to 14 MHz of paired spectrum in the 817 to 824 MHz and 862 to 869 MHz bands. Neither side disclosed a price, and the deal still needs FCC approval.
We announced an agreement to acquire a nationwide low-band spectrum license portfolio that will pave the way for @Starlink to become a major mobile carrier in the US.
With this new spectrum and our Gen2 constellation, Starlink Mobile can ensure Americans have access to high-speed mobile broadband no matter where they are → https://t.co/1Uaf48v5pm
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) October 8, 2026
Grain only recently picked up the licenses itself. It bought the portfolio from T-Mobile in a transaction that closed in August, paying cash plus its own 600 MHz spectrum. Rival AST SpaceMobile had been testing satellites on the same bands before SpaceX stepped in.
SpaceX said its 2 GHz spectrum will handle high bandwidth capacity, while the new 800 MHz layer “ensures Starlink Mobile’s signal penetrates through obstacles, such as walls, and can provide service to customers’ devices even when they are in buildings.” The company added that most existing phones already support the band, so customers would not need new hardware to use it.
That 2 GHz spectrum came from SpaceX’s EchoStar acquisition last year, which gave the company exclusive S band rights in the US and global Mobile Satellite Service licenses. The Grain spectrum is different in an important way: it is tailored for service from ground towers, not satellites. SpaceX said that combination would make Starlink Mobile “the first network operator to deploy both satellite and terrestrial spectrum.”
The announcement also follows a key regulatory win. Earlier this week, the FCC approved SpaceX’s plan to deploy 15,000 second generation Starlink Mobile satellites, which the company has said will carry up to 100 times the data density of the current system, as Teslarati previously reported.
Shares of AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile fell in extended trading after the announcement. T-Mobile is currently SpaceX’s launch partner for Starlink Mobile in the US, which makes its position the most complicated of the three.
SpaceX has not been subtle about its plans. During the company’s August earnings call, President and COO Gwynne Shotwell said she expected Starlink Mobile to win over customers from the major carriers. “I anticipate us to be able to acquire quite a few of their customers because I think our service will be better,” she said, pointing to dead zone coverage and resilience during disasters. Shotwell also described plans for low cost cellular base stations that could pair with existing Starlink dishes.
SpaceX has targeted 2027 for deployment of its next generation Starlink Mobile satellites, with upgraded service expected by the end of that year. The FCC review of the Grain deal now determines when the terrestrial half of that network can come online.
Elon Musk roasts India’s billionaire Mukesh Ambani as Starlink fight heats up
Elon Musk’s surprise addition to the X Takeover lineup has fans talking
It’s official: SpaceX takes aim at Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile
The Pentagon taps Elon Musk to design the battlefield of the future
Tesla Roadster’s new patent preps white-knuckle speeds, keeping it grounded
