Apple has committed to investing around $ 1.5 billion in Globalstar, the company whose network of satellites provides communication services to owners of the latest iPhones.
Apple wants more services and capabilities from Globalstar, which will expand its lead as one of only two providers of satellite services for telephone users. Google collaborated with Skylo to offer emergency satellite notifications to Pixel 9 series owners back in August. Other efforts in the telephone industry to offer satellite services have been founded, and carriers have not gone beyond being able to test message network through Partner’s satellite network.
Currently, owners of the iPhone 14, iPhone 15 and iPhone 16 models can use Globalstars satellites outside their mobile networks to reach emergencies through Emergency SOS. Recently, Apple expanded this to include text messages. Apple coordinates these services through a combined network of Globalstar satellites and earth stations, and now offers it for free.
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With Apple’s $ 1.5 billion investment, Globalstar will launch a new satellite constellation and expand the soil infrastructure grouped into a new “mobile satellite services” network, according to the company’s recent SEC archiving. It will also increase its global licensees for mobile services as part of an “expanded MSS network” and Apple will prepare for customers to use some of these services.
Globalstar allocates 85% of its network for Apple’s use, noted the filing.
Apple refused to comment on the nature of the investment or whether it would result in additional services for iPhone owners. Globalstar did not return a request for comment after publication.
In addition to messaging, the next limit for satellite services is to send data – for example through messaging apps such as WhatsApp and Signal – along with voice calls and video chats.
US carriers advertised partnerships with satellite providers years ago to provide customers with service beyond terrestrial 4G LTE and 5G networks, although they haven’t activated these services yet, with an exception: T-Mobile. The company, which first collaborated with SpaceX’s Starlink back in 2022, got federal approval at the last minute to send warnings and give emergency satellite to the victims of Hurricanes Helene and Milton in October. In an October earnings call, T-Mobile’s CEO Mike Sievert said during the hurricanes the temporary service saw hundreds of thousands of successfully completed text messages to people who would otherwise not have been through.
Verizon, who had signed up for Amazon’s satellite company -project Kuiper in 2021, declared a new partnership with AST Spacemobile back in May. AT&T announced its own partnership with AST SPACEMOBILE in 2022 and confirmed a commercial agreement between the companies in May; Ast Spacemobile launched its first five commercial satellites in September, which will eventually provide service to carrier customers.
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