T-Mobile Activates T-Satellite and Mobilizes Network Teams as Tropical Storm Lala Approaches Hawaiʻi

BELLEVUE, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug 14, 2026--

As Tropical Storm Lala approaches Hawaiʻi, T-Mobile (NASDAQ: TMUS) is activating T-Satellite and mobilizing teams and resources across the islands to help keep people, first responders and communities connected through the storm.

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Lala is expected to strengthen as it approaches the islands, bringing the potential for heavy rainfall, damaging winds, flooding, mudslides and dangerous surf through the weekend. The Big Island currently faces the greatest potential impacts.

“When severe weather hits, connectivity can be a lifeline — whether someone is checking on family, receiving an emergency alert or a first responder is coordinating help,” said Salim Kouidri, Senior Vice President, Field Engineering & Operations, T-Mobile. “Our teams are preparing across Hawaiʻi so we're ready to respond quickly, support the people and organizations communities depend on and help keep Hawaiʻi connected through the storm.”

Strengthening theNetworkBefore the Storm

T-Mobile's field engineering teams are mobilized across the islands, with additional crews, technicians and equipment secured to help accelerate response and restoration after the storm passes. Fixed generators have been checked and are ready, backup power is prepared at critical facilities and refueling plans are in place.

Ahead of landfall, T-Mobile has extended access to T-Satellite with Starlink for customers with compatible devices across the Hawaiian Islands. The service supports basic text messaging and Text-to-911 if terrestrial connectivity is disrupted, helping people stay connected to loved ones and emergency services. T-Satellite also broadcasts Wireless Emergency Alerts to compatible devices in the area.

T-Mobile's Self-Optimizing Network (SON) technology can automatically optimize network performance as conditions change, while energy-saving technologies help manage power consumption and preserve backup energy at network sites during power outages.

Behind the scenes, T-Mobile's emergency operations teams are continuously monitoring the storm, network conditions and potential impacts to customers, employees and operations so teams can quickly respond as needs emerge.

Coordinating with Hawaiʻi’s Emergency Response Community

T-Mobile teams are coordinating with emergency management officials across the islands, including the Hawaiʻi Emergency Management Agency (HIEMA), Maui Emergency Management Agency (MEMA), Hawaiʻi County Civil Defense Agency and the City and County of Honolulu, along with regional emergency communications officials from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). Teams are also proactively reaching out to public safety agencies, government organizations and other customers across Hawaiʻi to identify connectivity needs, align restoration priorities supporting first responders and critical infrastructure and address potential roadblocks to recovery.

Keeping First Responders and Public Safety Connected withT-Priority

When severe weather hits, first responders are often the first to leave their own families so they can protect everyone else’s. Through T-Priority, T-Mobile supports eligible first responders with priority network access, preemption and advanced 5G capabilities built for public safety. T-Priority helps keep critical communications and data-intensive tools, from mapping software and drones to cameras, moving when networks are under stress, so firefighters, law enforcement, EMS and emergency managers can stay connected as they coordinate response, protect communities and care for neighbors through the storm. For eligible public safety agencies that need support, T-Priority can be activated quickly to help keep first responders connected when it matters most.

Taking Care of Communities

Community support resources are already positioned across Oʻahu, Maui, Kauaʻi and Hawaiʻi Island. Ahead of Lala, T-Mobile is sending hundreds of additional power banks to the Big Island to supplement supplies already there. Teams are prepared to help communities with connectivity, charging and supplies, including devices as available.

Supporting Employees, Customers & Retail

Our retail teams are preparing stores across Hawaiʻi while keeping the safety of employees and customers at the center of decisions as conditions evolve. Store hours or availability may change based on local conditions, so customers should check the T-Mobile Store Locator for the latest information before heading out. T-Mobile is also preparing to support employees who may be impacted by the storm, with teams ready to respond to needs as they arise.

Stay Safe. Stay Prepared. Stay Connected.

When severe weather strikes, staying connected can mean receiving an emergency alert, reaching a loved one or getting help when it's needed. Taking a few steps now can make a difference:

As Lala moves through the islands, T-Mobile will continue monitoring network conditions and responding as needs arise. Most importantly, everyone in the storm's path is encouraged to stay safe, look out for one another and follow guidance from local emergency officials.

About T-Mobile

As the supercharged Un-carrier, T-Mobile US, Inc. (NASDAQ: TMUS) is powered by an award-winning 5G network that connects more people, in more places, than ever before. With T-Mobile’s unique value proposition of best network, best value and best experiences, the Un-carrier is redefining connectivity and fueling competition while continuing to drive the next wave of innovation in wireless and beyond. Headquartered in Bellevue, Wash., T-Mobile provides services through its subsidiaries and operates its flagship brands, T-Mobile, Metro by T-Mobile and Mint Mobile. For more information, visit https://www.t-mobile.com.

For the latest preparedness and response updates, visit our Emergency Response Hub and follow the T‑Mobile Newsroom on X and Instagram.

Tropical Storm Lala RealImpact Scale

Tropical Storm Lala Rainfall

Tropical Storm Lala Forecast

Stay safe. Stay prepared. Stay connected.

LONDON (AP) — A British sociologist who resigned last week from the University of Cambridge following weeks of public accusations of plagiarism and media scrutiny was found dead Friday.

Jason Arday, who was 37 when he became Cambridge's youngest Black professor in 2023, resigned after he came under intense media pressure, with weeks of allegations about plagiarism in his academic work and questions surrounding claims about his athletic and fundraising accomplishments.

The Times and Telegraph newspapers, along with the BBC and Sky News, reported that Arday, 41, was found “unresponsive” inside a home in Battersea, south London, on Friday afternoon.

News of his death comes the same week as the release of his memoir, “Great and Unfortunate Things,” a highly anticipated work that Simon & Schuster had decided to release despite the doubts about his credibility. In a statement issued through his publisher, Arday's family said that they were “in shock to have lost this amazing father, partner, brother, uncle and son.”

“The campaign of misinformation was too much for Jason, who was a gentle man and who always wanted to see the best in everyone,” the family said, adding that for three years Arday was “subjected to a campaign of sustained abuse ... by those who would leave no stone unturned in their quest to undermine him.”

The Metropolitan Police said only that a 41-year-old man was pronounced dead in Battersea, without naming the man, in accordance with its policy.

“At this time his death is being treated as unexpected, but is not believed to be suspicious," the police statement said.

Cambridge Vice-chancellor Deborah Prentice, who earlier announced that the university will investigate the circumstances around Arday's employment, said she was “desperately saddened” by the news.

“Our heartfelt sympathies go to Jason Arday’s family and friends at this incredibly difficult time," she said.

In resigning as professor of sociology of education, Arday wrote in a statement that "the relentless accusations, speculation and public commentary have taken a profound toll on me and on those I love.”

He said his stepping down should not “be mistaken for an acceptance of the narratives that have surrounded me.” He has denied plagiarism, but admitted to some mistakes when working on his doctorate.

Supporters, including more than two dozen academics and politicians, had described the plagiarism allegations as a “smear campaign” designed to undermine Arday and other Black people who hold “positions of influence.”

Arday’s appointment at Cambridge highlighted his personal story of overcoming dyslexia, developmental delays and autism that he said left him non-verbal until the age of 11 and illiterate until his late teens.

In his memoir, Arday wrote of himself as born to achieve and born to struggle. He remembered a family “legend” that the 1980s hit “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” was on the radio at the time of his birth. He described how a midwife noted his long fingers and told his mother that it was a sign he was meant for greatness. In his early 20s, he recalled, he was on a relief mission in Brazil when an aid worker placed a hand on his arm and also predicted an extraordinary life.

“But I also believe you're destined for very sad and difficult things as well,” she warned him.

Questions about Arday's qualifications were raised publicly last month by Nathan Cofnas, a one-time Cambridge philosophy researcher who left the university after his critique of diversity, equity and inclusion programs sparked widespread protests.

On July 24, the Times of London published an analysis of Arday’s 2015 Ph.D. thesis highlighting what it said were multiple examples of passages that were “identical or near-identical” to an earlier paper written by another researcher.

British media also raised questions about Arday’s claims that he had raised 5.5 million pounds ($7.4 million) for charity through feats such as running 30 marathons in 35 days and 600 miles in six days.

Dozens of Cambridge academics had signed a letter calling for an independent inquiry into how Arday was appointed. Cambridge initially stood by Arday, saying that the plagiarism allegations had been investigated by Liverpool John Moores University, which awarded Arday’s doctorate.

The university then changed its stance and said it opened an investigation “following new information about Professor Arday’s qualifications and honorary appointments.”

Prentice, the university's vice-chancellor, said this week that Cambridge will run a review of its hiring processes. She stressed that “our staff of color are highly valued, for their scholarship, their achievements and the contributions they make to the institution and the wider academic community.”

“This particular case is an aberration and should not be used to cast aspersions on their work or the legitimacy of their roles at Cambridge," she said Thursday.

Torchbearer Jason Arday carries the Olympic Flame on the Torch Relay leg between Sutton and Merton, in London, July 23, 2012. (Joe Giddens/LOCOG/PA via AP)