Apple will spend $450 million to launch an emergency satellite communication service for the iPhone 14
It will be available by the end of autumn in the US and Canada
Apple will have to shell out a significant amount of money to ensure that the new feature for the iPhone 14, which allows you to send SMS via satellite, works.
The American giant announced the allocation of $450 million. Part of the funds will be used to pay for Globalstar’s satellites and ground equipment. At the same time, the manufacturer from Cupertino will not buy a stake in Globalstar.
iPhone 14 smartphones will be able to connect to satellites in low Earth orbit. The new feature will make it possible to send messages to emergency services even in the absence of cellular network coverage. But not in automatic mode. 300 Globalstar call center specialists will be responsible for signal processing. To ensure the functionality of the function, Apple specialists created special antennas that will be installed on the Globalstar ground equipment.
Apple will transfer funds from the Advanced Manufacturing Fund, which was created to support American companies in 2017. During its existence, the fund paid $450 million to Corning, the manufacturer of Gorilla Glass, and another $350 million was spent to finance the Finisar plant, which produces laser components for the Face ID system.
iPhone 14 owners will be able to use satellite communication until the end of autumn. The new feature will be activated after one of the iOS updates. However, at first it will be available only in the USA and Canada. For two years, connection to satellites will be free.
