The iPhone 14/Pro satellite SOS emergency service will be official later this month. For now, this feature will be available only in the United States and Canada. According to Apple, the development of this feature costs $450 million. This fund covers finances on facilities, technology and personnel. The satellite SOS emergency service allows users to send text messages over the satellite network. Apple claims that this will require an entire satellite network. It will also involve a series of call centers in the U.S. and Canada.
Apple also reveals how the $450 million will be spent. The company claims that it will use a major part for Globalstar satellite network. This will go for ground stations in Alaska, Florida, Hawaii, Nevada, Puerto Rico and Texas. Infrastructure investments include the addition of new antennas at all Globalstar facilities. These high-power antennas are from Cobham Satcom in Concord, California.
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How iPhone 14/Pro satellite SOS emergency service work
The US version of the iPhone 14 series supports emergency messages sent via communication satellites. When the user is not within range of the cell phone signal, the cell phone’s antenna can connect to the satellite. By customizing the short text compression algorithm, the size of the message can be reduced by 3 times. In a clear sky, it will take less than 15 seconds for the message to deliver. The satellite communication function can perform certain functions. You can also use the Find My app to share a location without sending a message.
When an iPhone sends an SOS distress signal via a satellite, the information gets to one of Globalstar’s 24 satellites. The satellites travel at about 16,000 mph in low-Earth orbit. The satellites then send the information down to custom ground stations. These stations are at various key points around the world.
Once the ground station receives the information, it moves to emergency services. They can then dispatch rescue. According to Apple, this feature will come with the November iOS 16 software update. For the first two years, the services will be free.
