For many federal agencies, the greatest communications challenge isn’t congestion. It’s the absence of connectivity altogether.

Whether responding to disasters, managing border operations, conducting research in remote locations or supporting critical infrastructure, government personnel routinely operate beyond the reach of traditional terrestrial networks. When communications fail in these environments, the consequences can be severe.

Few people understand that reality better than Casey Muilenburg, whose career has included military service, emergency response operations and disaster recovery efforts across the country.

He recalls one wildfire response that still affects him years later.

“We didn’t make it in time. It was a bad day for us,” said Muilenburg, senior solutions engineer – public safety, T-Mobile. “When we told the responders to go right, there was no comms because we couldn’t get the repeater up on that ridge.”

The lack of communications prevented responders from relaying critical information.

“If they had direct to cell satellite, it would have changed the story,” he said. “They would have gone right, and they probably would have gone home to their families.”

The lesson extends far beyond wildfire response. Federal missions don’t stop at the edge of cellular coverage, yet traditional communications networks often do, Muilenburg noted.

Whether supporting disaster recovery, border security, scientific research, public safety or critical infrastructure operations, government personnel routinely operate in places where terrestrial connectivity is limited or nonexistent.

Reliable communications remain essential for situational awareness, logistics coordination, emergency response and personnel safety regardless of where the mission takes place.

As agencies look to strengthen continuity and resilience, direct-to-device satellite technologies are emerging as a new layer in modern communications architectures, helping extend connectivity into remote environments without requiring specialized hardware or complex deployments, Muilenburg said.

While technology cannot eliminate risk, he believes direct-to-device satellite communications will fundamentally change what is possible in coverage-constrained environments.

That belief was reinforced during Hurricane Helene response efforts in North Carolina. Arriving in Asheville after devastating flooding, Muilenburg encountered an area where traditional infrastructure had largely disappeared.

“Asheville was completely wiped off. There were no comms, no power,” he said.

While deploying communications equipment, T-Satellite became available.

“T-Satellite came on when that happened,” he said. “I started getting all these text messages.”

The ability to communicate transformed what could have been a significant operational delay into a simple request.

“I was able to ask someone to send a runner for a missing bolt,” Muilenburg said. “It saved me so much time. Imagine the potential efficiencies through your process because of T-Satellite.”

Perhaps most important for federal leaders, Muilenburg said, satellite connectivity should not be viewed solely as an emergency response tool.

“It’s not only for the incidents or major response, but the everyday mission out there for federal agents as well,” Muilenburg said.

He pointed to scenarios ranging from border operations to surveillance missions in mountainous terrain, where personnel may find themselves operating outside traditional coverage areas.

“How do they still do their work if they have no comms?” he asked. “T-Satellite changes that story.”

> Capacity resilience
Can communications withstand congestion and demand spikes? T-Priority

> Geographic resilience
Can communications continue where terrestrial coverage doesn’t exist? T-Satellite

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Can communications remain secure against evolving threats? T-Mobile Security

One reason the technology is attracting attention is its simplicity. Historically, satellite communications often required purpose-built hardware and specialized expertise, Muilenburg said. But direct-to-device connectivity dramatically reduces those barriers.

“Direct to cell is not your traditional satellite technology,” he said. “You don’t have to have a special device. You don’t have to add another tool. It’s all right here on your smartphone.”

That accessibility is helping agencies rethink how satellite fits into their broader communications strategies.

“We’re working with a lot of federal agencies right now that are thinking that way,” Muilenburg said. “They’re evaluating how this will impact them every day.”

For agencies focused on continuity, the future may not be about extending coverage incrementally. Instead, it may be about creating a communications architecture that follows the mission wherever it goes.

As Muilenburg pointed out, there are “500,000 square miles nationwide that will never have terrestrial connectivity.” That reality means some degree of communications gap will always exist if agencies rely exclusively on terrestrial infrastructure.

Direct-to-device satellite offers a way to close much of that gap, making geographic resilience a core element of mission assurance, he said.

As agencies rethink continuity planning, the ability to maintain connectivity regardless of location is becoming as important as network performance, capacity and security. Ultimately, Muilenburg said the goal is simple: Giving government employees “the information they need to complete their mission and come home at the end of the day.”

What’s the difference? Traditional satellite vs. direct-to-device satellite

For starters, using satellite communications today, “you don’t have to have a special device. You don’t have to add another tool,” T-Mobile’s Casey Muilenburg said.

Traditional satellite	Direct-to-device satellite
Specialized equipment	Existing smartphones
Additional training	Familiar user experience
Deployment required	Always available
Separate communications platform	Integrated with cellular service
Higher operational complexity	Lower operational complexity

Explore the communications strategies and technologies shaping the future of federal mission resilience.

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