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Tag: Globalstar

  • Apple to Invest $450 Million in Satellite Infrastructure for iPhone 14

    Apple to Invest $450 Million in Satellite Infrastructure for iPhone 14

    Apple is investing $450 million to help build out satellite infrastructure to support the iPhone 14’s new feature.

    While the iPhone 14 series offered few significant upgrades over the iPhone 13, the main feature is satellite-based SOS service. Apple partnered with Globalstar as the provider of the service.

    “Emergency SOS via satellite can help you connect with emergency services under exceptional circumstances when no other means of reaching emergency services are available,” Apple writes in its support page. “If you call or text emergency services and can’t connect because you’re outside the range of cellular and Wi-Fi coverage, your iPhone tries to connect you via satellite to the help that you need.”

    According to PCMag, Apple is spending $450 million to help Globalstar upgrade its ground stations with “high-power antennas” from Cobham Satcom.

    “These new antennas were installed in all Globalstar worldwide ground stations, including new ground stations in Nevada and Hawaii, as well as existing facilities in Texas, Alaska, Florida, and Puerto Rico,” the company said. 

    “With Apple’s infrastructure investment, we’ve grown our teams in California and elsewhere to construct, expand, and upgrade our ground stations, and we look forward to the next chapter in Globalstar’s lifesaving technology,” Globalstar Executive Chairman Jay Monroe added. 

    The upgrades should go a long way toward the rollout of the satellite SOS service later this month.

  • iPhone 13 Will Support Calls and Texts Without Cell Service

    iPhone 13 Will Support Calls and Texts Without Cell Service

    The iPhone 13 could receive a major new feature, supporting calls and texts even when the phone has no cell service.

    The iPhone 13 is expected to be released in September, and could include one of the most compelling reasons to upgrade of any iPhone yet released. According to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, via MacRumors, the iPhone 13 may use low earth orbit (LEO) satellites to provide additional connectivity.

    Kuo has a long-standing reputation for reliable predictions about Apple, making this rumor all the more exciting. LEO satellites are currently gaining attention as a result of SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet service. The LEO satellites provide speeds and latency on parwith traditional broadband, and orders of magnitude better than legacy satellite providers.

    According to Kuo, the most likely scenario involves Apple working with Globalstar to use their satellites. The iPhone 13 will feature a custom Qualcomm X60 chip with satellite communication support built-in, and Kuo believes Globalstar is “most likely to cooperate with Apple in terms of technology and service coverage.”

    If Kuo is correct, the iPhone 13 could be a game-changer for many users in areas where their wireless provider of choice has dead spots in their coverage. With the iPhone 13, those users would still be able to make and receive calls and texts.