For satellite messaging an iPhone 14 is not necessary

For satellite messaging an iPhone 14 is not necessary. A message was being sent through satellite, not a obile network, on a foggy day at Mobile World Congress last week in Barcelona, so I left one of the large conference halls and stepped outside into the sunlight.

Why does it matter so much?

As usual, context is essential.
Having a terrific SIM offer with unlimited calls, texts, and the internet is nice, but it is useless if there is no signal.

Because there are times when we are without cellular coverage and unable to send or receive messages or calls, many technology companies are attempting to figure out how to include satellite communications into smartphones.

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Emergency Calling:

Without a mobile signal in an emergency, you might wish your phone could use satellite messaging, but surprisingly few phones come equipped with it. Apple included the SOS emergency messaging capability in its iphone 14 phones. Still, it’s only available in a few countries and the cost hasn’t been revealed (it’s initially free for two years).

In addition, Qualcomm, the US company that supplies many Android makers with chipsets, is promoting Snapdragon Satellite, a feature that its clients can incorporate into high-end devices in the future.

Emergency Message:

The standard back-and-forth texting with people we are used to via conventional SMS, WhatsApp, i Message, Telegram, or any other messaging app is still not what these services are built for, even though Apple’s emergency via satellite enables you to message with emergency services.

You would assume that since these mega-corps haven’t successfully marketed satellite messaging to the general public, a little British startup also hasn’t though it has.

Global satellite messaging:

Bullitt Group, based in Reading, England, offers a global satellite messaging service that enables both consumers and corporate users to send and receive messages to and from anyone in the world having a mobile number. This service is currently available in Europe and North America. Although it is intended for emergency use, it may actually be applied to any situation.

Bullitt has been manufacturing phones as a licensee for about 15 years, building the gadgets but selling them under recognizable brand names like Motorola to appeal to customers.

Clouds Services:

Phil Wicks, the director of satellite marketing for Bullitt Group, was standing next to me under those threatening clouds. He had the brand-new CAT S75, an Android phone with built-in satellite communication that costs $599/£599, at his disposal. Phil sent multiple messages via the Bullitt messaging app and a service plan, which I witnessed and answered in real-time without the use of a cellular network.

Wicks claimed that until now, satellite communications were only possible through enormous, pricey, and consumer-unfriendly equipment.

According to Wicks, there is no justification for it to be so pricey. “We’re just proving that it’s affordable,”

Service Plan:

Phil Wicks, the director of satellite marketing for Bullitt Group, was standing next to me under those threatening clouds. He had the brand-new CAT S75, an Android phone with built-in satellite communication that costs $599/£599, at his disposal. Phil sent multiple messages via the Bullitt messaging app and a service plan, which I witnessed and answered in real-time without the use of a cellular network.

Wicks claimed that until now, satellite communications were only possible through enormous, pricey, and consumer-unfriendly equipment.

According to Wicks, there is no justification for it to be so pricey. “We’re just proving that it’s affordable,”

If you are unable to compose a message, the S75 can ping live locations or send messages to emergency contacts. You can even use a triaging service with emergency services worldwide by answering multiple-choice questions.

Motorola Defy Satellite Link:

You can soon purchase the $99/£99/€119 Motorola Defy Satellite Link, a Bluetooth dongle that adds satellite communications to any Android phone or iPhone if you don’t want to use a tough, cumbersome CAT phone. It is powered by MediaTek’s MT6825 chipset, one of Qualcomm’s main rivals in this market. Because of the Defy’s extreme affordability and potential to increase your sense of security, we awarded it the Best of MWC 2023 title (or backpack).

We’re working to ensure that we can include that into a much more user-friendly form factor while still ensuring that service plans are practical. Making satellites accessible to the public is the goal.

Because to the company’s usage of two constellations of geostationary satellites from companies Inmarsat and EchoStar, you may send a message using the Bullitt app.

Geostationary satellites:

Geostationary satellites effectively maintain the same positions in the sky all the time because they orbit the Earth at the same rate as it rotates. These constellations are situated near the equator at a distance of 22,300 miles from Earth.

The Bullitt service plan is required by the one sending the message but not by the recipient. 30 SMS can be purchased for $4.99/£4.99 per month.

This means that for $149/£149/€169, you may purchase the Defy dongle plus a service plan with 30 two-way messages each month for a full year.

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Bullitt Satellite Connect is currently available in Europe and North America, but Wicks promised that by the end of 2023, it will also be available in Latin America, South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand.

“There are certainly geopolitical issues, but there are no technical barriers to having global coverage. Saudi Arabia, Iran, China, and Russia become somewhat irritated when people use satellites without telling them, he added.

Being a plain text messaging service, the plans continue to be affordable. Sure, it costs more than sending messages with your standard SIM plan, but keep in mind that you are using brand-new technology that isn’t generally accessible to consumers and that you are avoiding the entire mobile network. Furthermore, if you’re going on an excursion where there’s probably no mobile coverage, what value do you place on safety?

“We make use of the low-data-use narrowband IoT channel. So, the main focus is on minimizing costs and utilizing existing infrastructure.

Motorola Defy’s:

Although Bullitt’s primary clients are organizations like car recovery services, security companies, agricultural buyers, emergency services, first responders, and people living in areas without electricity, the Motorola Defy’s affordability and accessibility make a strong case for a backup satellite device for emergencies being sold at your neighborhood outdoor store or even supermarket.

Because they don’t want to give the cell operators the wrong message that we might not need mobile networks in the future, tech companies may be trying to make us believe that satellite messaging is expensive or infrequent.