Apple today announced that the satellite communications feature available on iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max is now available for users in Australia and New Zealand.
The satellite communication feature is now supported in Australia, New Zealand, Austria, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, the United Kingdom and the United States, all of which can now be used for emergency distress and location via satellite.
When the phone does not receive a cellular or Wi-Fi signal properly, users can use emergency SOS via satellite to send a distress text message to an emergency service center and share their location with friends and family in the Find app.
Apple iPhone 14 automatically enables satellite capabilities when you’re disconnected from cellular networks and Wi-Fi. Of course, establishing a satellite connection usually requires a clear view of the sky, but iOS also directs users to point their phones in a specific direction to the satellite overhead.
At this stage, data transmission speeds for cellular satellite communications are very slow, so the iPhone can only help users send brief messages. If needed, emergency services can respond and have a two-way conversation.
When a nearby emergency service center supports text-based satellite communications, your emergency SOS will connect directly to that channel, otherwise, it will require Apple Relay Center staff to forward the emergency message they receive to the emergency services.
Of course, Apple currently says it will only provide satellite communications capability for free for two years, starting when the device is activated or when the service is available in a specific region (whichever is later). Apple has not, however, disclosed how it will charge after the two-year free trial period ends.
