Verizon Taps Another Satellite Operator To Make Texting From the Middle of Nowhere Easier (theregister.com) 20
Verizon has teamed up with another satellite operator to offer US customers a commercial direct-to-device messaging service for when a terrestrial cell network is not available, starting this fall. From a report: The telecoms giant says that US customers with compatible smartphones will have access to emergency messaging and location sharing, even when out of range of a cell tower, and from early next year it will offer the ability to text anywhere via a satellite connection, again with compatible devices. Verizon told The Register that there are no additional costs planned for this service, and any customer with a capable device can take advantage of it, irrespective of price plan.
It will be available on the Pixel 9 family of devices out of the box, with the Galaxy S25 to follow, a Verizon spokesperson told us. "Next year we will add text anywhere functionality to the emergency text and location services available this year," they added. This sounds somewhat similar to the Emergency SOS feature introduced by Apple with the iPhone 14 two years ago, which also enabled users to contact emergency services via a satellite link. Verizon says its service will complement Apple's iOS 18 satellite features, so customers using different devices will also have the ability to text anywhere. As partner for this service, Verizon has picked Skylo, a company that styles itself as a pioneer in Non-Terrestrial Network (NTN) communications for smartphones and other devices.
It will be available on the Pixel 9 family of devices out of the box, with the Galaxy S25 to follow, a Verizon spokesperson told us. "Next year we will add text anywhere functionality to the emergency text and location services available this year," they added. This sounds somewhat similar to the Emergency SOS feature introduced by Apple with the iPhone 14 two years ago, which also enabled users to contact emergency services via a satellite link. Verizon says its service will complement Apple's iOS 18 satellite features, so customers using different devices will also have the ability to text anywhere. As partner for this service, Verizon has picked Skylo, a company that styles itself as a pioneer in Non-Terrestrial Network (NTN) communications for smartphones and other devices.
Don't need to use Verizon (Score:4, Informative)
Note that although this service for Pixel 9 and Samsung S25 phones is being operated by Verizon, you don't need Verizon service for it to work. I have a Pixel 9 but use Google Fi (which is T-Mobile, basically), not Verizon, and my phone says that Satellite SOS works fine. I've gone through the demo which I believe does actually communicate with the satellite, though it obviously doesn't send a message to emergency services.
How much does it cost (Score:2)
So will texting be quite a bit more expensive? What's the plan model: per text? Monthly plan?
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The OP is a bit confusing because the SOS service has nothing to do with this article. It's (from my understanding) for 911 only right now.
Yes, it's for SOS only right now, but my understanding is that text-anywhere will be added as part of the same service. No idea if it will cost anything, but my impression is that it won't, i.e. it's just part of the price of the phone.
It's not going to be as convenient as normal SMS, though, because power consumption is much higher (too high to be always-on, from what I understand) and you have to have the phone in the correct orientation (basically held perfectly level, phone edges unobstructed, facing
make the terrestrial network good again (Score:1)
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This is a low bandwidth distraction from their core business.
To me it looks more like a first tentative footstep into new technological terrain. Verizon already offers TravelPass, which allows a customer to automatically connect to foreign cell services in almost all countries. Last October I was able to take a call from my stockbroker while riding a bus in Chile, a call that would otherwise have been a too-late voicemail after I returned home.
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Global roaming isn't new technology. It's been a core GSM feature since the early '90s.
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Global roaming isn't new technology. It's been a core GSM feature since the early '90s.
Then why do communications experts keep advising ravelers to fiddle around trying to acquire SIM cards for foreign places they visit, rather than just a one-time setup for something so simple and automatic? That's like advising root canal surgery whenever you need to brush your teeth.
Re: make the terrestrial network good again (Score:2)
Because most carriers change stupidly high prices for roaming. If you have a GSM phone and take it to a random country, it will probably work, and you'll come back to a bill for thousands of dollars. You can probably sign up to an international package with your carrier which puts the bill in more reasonable territory, but usually still not as cheap as signing up with a local carrier.
Unless you're in the EU of course, in which case you'll get charged the same as your home country in any other EU country. An
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The way my plan works is that it automatically triggers for a 24-hour period whenever the phone sees a foreign signal, at my regular rate plus $10, automatically extending for each overseas day. The one downside is that whenever I drive I-8 I have to remember to go to airplane mode.
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The deal I get from Telstra is pretty similar, but I think it requires actually making/receiving a call or sending a text message to trigger the daily AUD10 fee. Just connecting to a roaming network and receiving text messages is free. Using data on a roaming network is more expensive, though.
An opportunity to replicate past success. (Score:2)
The US Government should finance and promote the creation of a network of LEOs to provide satellite phone functionality - the space equivalent of telephone poles with telephone wire strung up. We can bypass the part where AT&T was the only phone company and go straight to the part where cellular providers can all (re)sell access as part of their service offering.
Ownership of satellite communications should not be left in the hands of private enterprise. I know this is counter to the tenets of free en
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"The US Government should finance and promote the creation of a network of LEOs"
I am sure the Law Enforcement Officers want to be able tap into this service (along with the NSA and FBI)
(you may have meant a network in LEO)
No. I want to launch LAPD into orbit. (Score:2)
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How will they receive their weekly refueling of random excessive force and donuts?
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The US Government should finance and promote the creation of a network of LEOs
Worldwide swatting!
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The US Government should finance and promote the creation of
Sounds like a subsidy for the industry. Show me a universal broadband/cellular fund that wasn't a giant sinkhole or pocket liner for telecom execs and I'll consider this one.
What about non-emergency usages? (Score:2)
That would be useful for weak and no signal areas!