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Starlink shines in FL after Hurricane Milton: ‘A game changer’ [Exclusive]
“So Starlink has been a game changer,” the CFO of Florida Jimmy Patronis, told Teslarati in a recent interview. Patronis was in a vehicle during our conversation visiting the areas in Florida impacted by Hurricane Milton. He had just left a part of Florida that was ravaged by at least 30 tornadoes during the hurricane.
“I think it had a lot of use. I bought the Starlink. I built a harness on the back of our car and we were traveling down the road with the Starlink. And I was doing TV interviews, going down the highway at 60 miles an hour and the communication was really impressive,” the CFO of Florida added.
Preparing for Hurricane Milton with Starlink
My interview with Patronis was ironic and interesting, to say the least. While he was in the car traveling to people affected by Milton, I was on the other side of the world, preparing for Typhoon Kristine, the third storm that would hit my home over the last 3-4 months.
I know how important communication lines are during a hurricane. In some cases, it is your only lifeline, and Patronis was well aware of that.
“My own personal experience, I went ahead and decided to buy a Starlink the week before Hurricane Milton made landfall,” Patronis told me.
“When a storm hits, being able to facilitate phone calls, content sharing, interviews, reports, it’s critical. People want to know what is happening. But unless you have dependable communication, it’s very difficult to do that. And we found Starlink to be invaluable when it came to providing those up-to-date communications for our first responders, for our state of operations…” he elaborated.
The internet was our only connection to the rest of the world when the first hurricane hit our house and flooded the streets of our neighborhood and our car. The second time, the water reached about 7 feet high and flooded our car and house. My family in New Jersey were on the phone talking to me as I hurried up the stairs with stuff, trying to beat the rising water rushing into our yard—and eventually into our house.
From my experience, floods are the worst part of hurricanes—and the scariest. I knew we were in trouble when we saw our neighbors asking for rescue through the HOA Facebook group. In the Philippines, people often call for help through social media posts during hurricanes, so the internet is critical.
First responders often use the internet or cellular lines to see if anyone needs help. It was no different during Hurricane Milton in Florida.
“So my office also coordinates all urban search and rescue where our first responders are on the field literally minutes after the storm has made landfall. They depend on Starlink. They will have Starlink out in the field with them. This is how they’re communicating, which homes they have visited, if there’s any need for any other assistance, equipment, help, you name it. If they just need more urban rescue first responders to show up,” Patronis told me.
Starlink delivering Peace of Mind after Hurricane Milton
The CFO of Florida and everyone in his office has been working non-stop, preparing for Hurricane Milton’s arrival and now helping people get their lives back together. He told me of one couple in their 70s who had recently married and moved into a new home just six days before Milton made landfall.
Unfortunately, a tornado dropped a dumpster on top of their house. Despite the situation they found themselves in, Patronis told me that the couple were not deterred by the damage caused by Hurricane Milton. They didn’t let Milton take away their happiness and were eager to rebuild.
Rebuilding is probably the hardest thing to do after a hurricane but is unavoidable and necessary. After the second hurricane flooded our home and car, my husband and I immediately acted. We got our car to a mechanic and the cleaners—again. We fortified our gates so less water would enter our lot. The one thing we should have done but didn’t do was prepare to be cut off from the world.
As I said earlier, during the interview with Patronis, Typhoon Kristine was entering the Philippines. The internet connection was already spotty as I talked to him. At one point, our call was abruptly dropped because I lost internet connection. I should have known then that we were in for a rough ride.
A day after my interview with Patronis, Typhoon Kristine’s relentless rain over the Philippines caused the river near our neighborhood to overflow for the third time. The water rose fast; within 20 minutes, it was waist-high from street level. Luckily, our reinforced gates held fast. However, our internet and cellular connection were so bad we couldn’t contact our families or get any updates about the typhoon.
The most terrifying thing about a hurricane is being unable to communicate during or after it. It fills you with dread, and fear, and unfathomable thoughts. Information is a crucial part of natural disasters to stop the fear, focus on something else, and get through it. Otherwise, it feels endless.
Starlink provided people in Florida with information during and after Hurricane Milton and Hurricane Helene. Something I wish I had during Hurricane Kristine.
“So you know we’re very committed to using cellular, but in some cases, the Starlink has been a provider of information that…it’s been priceless.
“We were also able to—with the help of T-Mobile—get the FCC to open up a full-blown texting in Florida via satellite and Starlink,” Patronis told me.
Are you rebuilding after Hurricane Milton?
I understand that rebuilding after a hurricane can be difficult. Patronis told me about predators that have been coercing people to sign over their insurance benefits while they try to rebuild their lives and move forward.
The CFO of Florida’s office handles insurance fraud cases and also helps people with their insurance claims. You may seek help by calling 1877-My-FL-CFO or visiting PrepareFL.com.
The best thing you can do after going through a calamity is to ask for help.
What’s your experience with Starlink Cellular? Please share them with me through maria@teslarati.com
If you have any tips, contact me at maria@teslarati.com or via X @Writer_0100110.
Tesla has made two big interior changes to several Model Y vehicles in its lineup, and the changes come just as the new model year begins production.
Last year, Tesla launched the Model Y Standard, which separated the previous models into the “Premium” category. The Standard vehicles lack several features, including more premium interior materials, acoustic-lined glass, and storage.
@teslarati There are some BIG differences between the Tesla Model Y Standard and Tesla Model Y Premium #tesla #teslamodely ♬ Sia – Xeptemper
The Model Y “Premium” trims are now getting several new upgrades, which come after the company launched a seven-seat configuration of the vehicle last night in the North American market for an upcharge of $2,500.
The new Model Y seven-seat configuration did not come with just an additional row of seating; it also came with a slew of other goodies that now come standard and were previously only available on the Model Y Performance, which was launched late last year.
All Black Headliner
The new Tesla Model Y Premium trims will now come standard with a black headliner, something that many owners have been requesting for some time.
The previous grey headliner and trim within the vehicle is now gone; it will be all black on all of the Premium trims from here on out, a welcome change:
Credit: Tesla
Larger and Higher Resolution Center Touchscreen
The center touchscreen in the new Model Y Premium configuration is now larger and has a higher resolution than the previous version.
In last year’s Model Y configurations (apart from the Performance), the center touchscreen was 15.4″. Now, Tesla has decided to go with the 16″ version across all Premium trims, which is a nice step up. It was nice to see this in the Performance, but it is really great to see Tesla include this in the Model Y’s more Premium trim levels.
Tesla Model Y Seven Seater
Tesla launched the latest iteration of the seven-seater for the Model Y on Monday night. Traditionally, the Model Y seats five passengers in total, but there were calls for a more spacious version several years ago.
Tesla released it, but it was extremely tight in the back, basically reserving those back seats for only small people or children.
Credit: Tesla
The new configuration looks to be slightly more spacious in the third row, but not as much space as most would require or want. Instead,
Elon Musk
Lufthansa Group to equip Starlink on its 850-aircraft fleet
Under the collaboration, Lufthansa Group will install Starlink technology on both its existing fleet and all newly delivered aircraft, as noted by the group in a press release.
Lufthansa Group has announced a partnership with Starlink that will bring high-speed internet connectivity to every aircraft across all its carriers.
This means that aircraft across the group’s brands, from Lufthansa, SWISS, and Austrian Airlines to Brussels Airlines, would be able to enjoy high-speed internet access using the industry-leading satellite internet solution.
Starlink in-flight internet
Under the collaboration, Lufthansa Group will install Starlink technology on both its existing fleet and all newly delivered aircraft, as noted by the group in a press release.
Starlink’s low-Earth orbit satellites are expected to provide significantly higher bandwidth and lower latency than traditional in-flight Wi-Fi, which should enable streaming, online work, and other data-intensive applications for passengers during flights.
Starlink-powered internet is expected to be available on the first commercial flights as early as the second half of 2026. The rollout will continue through the decade, with the entire Lufthansa Group fleet scheduled to be fully equipped with Starlink by 2029. Once complete, no other European airline group will operate more Starlink-connected aircraft.
Free high-speed access
As part of the initiative, Lufthansa Group will offer the new high-speed internet free of charge to all status customers and Travel ID users, regardless of cabin class. Chief Commercial Officer Dieter Vranckx shared his expectations for the program.
“In our anniversary year, in which we are celebrating Lufthansa’s 100th birthday, we have decided to introduce a new high-speed internet solution from Starlink for all our airlines. The Lufthansa Group is taking the next step and setting an essential milestone for the premium travel experience of our customers.
“Connectivity on board plays an important role today, and with Starlink, we are not only investing in the best product on the market, but also in the satisfaction of our passengers,” Vranckx said.
Elon Musk
Tesla locks in Elon Musk’s top problem solver as it enters its most ambitious era
The generous equity award was disclosed by the electric vehicle maker in a recent regulatory filing.
Tesla has granted Senior Vice President of Automotive Tom Zhu more than 520,000 stock options, tying a significant portion of his compensation to the company’s long-term performance.
The generous equity award was disclosed by the electric vehicle maker in a recent regulatory filing.
Tesla secures top talent
According to a Form 4 filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Tom Zhu received 520,021 stock options with an exercise price of $435.80 per share. Since the award will not fully vest until March 5, 2031, Zhu must remain at Tesla for more than five years to realize the award’s full benefit.
Considering that Tesla shares are currently trading at around the $445 to $450 per share level, Zhu will really only see gains in his equity award if Tesla’s stock price sees a notable rise over the years, as noted in a Sina Finance report.
Still, even at today’s prices, Zhu’s stock award is already worth over $230 million. If Tesla reaches the market cap targets set forth in Elon Musk’s 2025 CEO Performance Award, Zhu would become a billionaire from this equity award alone.
Tesla’s problem solver
Zhu joined Tesla in April 2014 and initially led the company’s Supercharger rollout in China. Later that year, he assumed the leadership of Tesla’s China business, where he played a central role in Tesla’s localization efforts, including expanding retail and service networks, and later, overseeing the development of Gigafactory Shanghai.
Zhu’s efforts helped transform China into one of Tesla’s most important markets and production hubs. In 2023, Tesla promoted Zhu to Senior Vice President of Automotive, placing him among the company’s core global executives and expanding his influence beyond China. He has since garnered a reputation as the company’s problem solver, being tapped by Elon Musk to help ramp Giga Texas’s vehicle production.
With this in mind, Tesla’s recent filing seems to suggest that the company is locking in its top talent as it enters its newest, most ambitious era to date. As could be seen in the targets of Elon Musk’s 2025 pay package, Tesla is now aiming to be the world’s largest company by market cap, and it is aiming to achieve production levels that are unheard of. Zhu’s talents would definitely be of use in this stage of the company’s growth.
Tesla makes two big interior changes to several Model Y vehicles
Lufthansa Group to equip Starlink on its 850-aircraft fleet
