- SOS calling via Starlink should be intended for all smartphones
- Elon Musk should make it available for free
- But it has its conditions
Satellite calls undoubtedly have a number of advantages, and you don’t have to rely on the transmitters of common mobile operators at all. You summon yourself in the middle of the ocean as well as in the jungle. However, it’s insanely expensive and most smartphones don’t offer it, so it’s unusable for a lot of mere mortals right now. The same applies to emergency calls, which are already possible via satellite by some mobile phones, but may also not be free of charge.
Currently, you can use satellite SOS calls as a premium function on phones, for example iPhone 14 and newer models and it should also be possible on the Google Pixel 9 (the source code has this information, but the service has not yet been launched). The trend of calling and sending messages via satellite is also opposed by the operator of the most famous broadband connection Starlink, i.e. its mastermind Elon Musk. It’s already in orbit 6,000 satellites and thus offers global coverage. For example, you can buy Internet from Starlink in the Czech Republic.
At the beginning of this year, his SpaceX launched a service in cooperation with the mobile operator T-Mobile Direct to Cell. Thanks to it, it is possible to date, call and send messages anywhere in the world. And Musk intends to go even further, and wants to enable everyone around the globe to make emergency calls via satellite. “We cannot allow a situation where someone dies just because they forgot or couldn’t pay,” stated the visionary. But this task is not so easy, and Musk alone is not enough for it this time.
The decision rests with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
The companies Starlink and T-Mobile submitted a joint application to Federal Communications Commission (FCC)to obtain her consecration for all necessary licenses. Then emergency calls via satellite should be made available to all people in the US. At the same time, they do not have to be clients of Starlink or of the above-mentioned mobile operator.
As always, Musk has grandiose goals, so he promises a gradual expansion for all people who own a smartphone, wherever they live. And it should be free of charge. First, however, this option must also be approved by the states whose territory the new service is to cover.
What do you think of Elon Musk’s new plan?
Source: www.svetandroida.cz
