Emergency Management officials are raising critical questions and voicing deep concerns. In response to recent announcements by the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) and SpaceX saying they are providing satellite internet availability in the National Radio Quiet Zone (NRQZ), While news broke that 99.5% of NRQZ residents will gain access to Starlink’s high-speed internet services, it comes with the unsettling caveat that this “improvement” is actually a step back for connectivity within the NRQZ. Up until August, 100% of NRQZ residents, visitors and Public Safety had access to the Starlink Roam model, which is now being restricted. This allowed people to contact 911 from more locations than ever before and gave first responders better communications to serve the public.
This means that despite headlines touting progress, a 0.5% gap has been created leaving behind individuals and communities in Pocahontas and Pendelton Counties by limiting their communication options. “Who is asking about the people left without coverage?” asks Pocahontas County 911 Emergency Management Director, Michael O’Brien. “What about the 246 faculty and students at Green Bank Elementary-Middle School and their families?
What about the hundreds of thousands of visitors our counties host each year? Are they not deserving of the same safety, connectivity and modern communications technology avail- able to the rest of the country and the world?”
Public Safety Compromised: Questions That Deserve Answers
Despite the positive spin by the NRAO and Space X, there are glaring problems that must be addressed—issues critical to public safety, healthcare, law enforcement, and to the general prosperity of the community. Among these are:
• Exclusion of Local Emergency Management: Why have all local emergency management officials throu-ghout the NRQZ been excluded from these critical discussions on satellite- based internet and communications access? Our knowledge of local conditions, response needs, and community dynamics is fundamental to any real solution.
• Impact on Public Safety Services: The NRAO and NSF have not requested our input on how these changes will affect first responders’ ability to deliver critical services. Without our input they are claiming success that is strictly focused on their needs, and not the needs of public safety and communities within the restricted zones. Seconds matter in emergencies, and restricted connectivity makes those seconds harder to manage and ultimately puts lives at risk.
• Lack of NSF Action: Why is NSF, an organization with a public mandate, avoiding accountability? There has been no comprehensive public discussion on balancing research goals with the essential needs of local communities.
• Disproportionate Burden on Communities for the Sake of Scientific Research: Should citizens of Pocahontas County and neighboring regions in West Virginia and Virginia have to accept increased risk during day-to-day emergencies simply to support astronomy research? Research institutions using the Green Bank Observatory and other NRAO facilities depend on an NRQZ, yet the local communities bear the burden.
99.5% Safety is Not Enough
Safety is not a “close enough” calculation. In any other U.S. region, the population would have the right to purchase and use any form of modern communications equipment they want. Telling 0.5% of the NRQZ population, “Sorry, your safety and connectivity are secondary to scientific research” is not acceptable. Why are we an exception?
Local communities, elect-ed officials, and public advocates need to call for immediate attention to this critical issue. Why are Governor Jim Justice and other publicly elected officials remaining silent on this? To date, ten counties have passed resolutions highlighting their worries about the growing eminent domain of radio frequency spectrum within the NRQZ.
Submitted by the Pocahontas County Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management