AT&T's upcoming satellite service promises to bring satellite connectivity to the iPhone 12 and 13 for the first time, unlike Apple's satellite-based 911 service , it will support phone calls as well as text messages.
So it will offer more features to more people than Apple's satellite feature, but there are a number of unanswered questions …
Apple& #8217;SOS via satellite
Apple announced this feature during the iPhone 14 keynote, and it launched in the US and Canada back in November 2022. It was quickly extended to a number of additional countries. .
At launch, Apple said it would be free for the first two years after you purchase a compatible iPhone. This time was later extended, although it remains unclear what will happen after that.
The service is credited with saving several lives.
This feature is only available on iPhone 14 and later because it uses frequencies , supported only by the new radio chip introduced for the first time in this model. The frequencies only support very low bandwidth communications, which limits the service to short emergency text messages.
AT&T satellite service
AT&T is one of several wireless carriers that is working with AST SpaceMobile to expand satellite connectivity to more phones.
Because it doesn't use a special frequency, it works with any smartphone with a 5G chip, i.e. with iPhone 12 and later. It also offers significantly higher bandwidth, meaning it's suitable for both voice calls and text messages.
The ability to make voice calls over a 5G satellite was first demonstrated back in September last year .
The ability to make voice calls over a 5G satellite was first demonstrated back in September last year.
The ability to make voice calls over a 5G satellite was first demonstrated back in September last year.
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The ability to make voice calls over a 5G satellite has been demonstrated for the first time.
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Engadget reports that AT&T has signed a commercial deal with AST SpaceMobile that will allow it to begin offering the service to its subscribers.
AT&T subscribers will soon be able to guarantee cellular service even in typical dead zones, such as deep in national parks or remote rural areas. The mobile operator has been collaborating with AST SpaceMobile since 2018 under a Memorandum of Understanding, helping the latter test two-way audio, text and video calls over satellites in space using regular smartphones. The companies have now reached a final commercial agreement, meaning AT&T is getting closer to offering subscribers the ability to turn their regular phones into legitimate satellite devices.
The service will launch using the satellite this summer. Five new AST satellites will be launched. Additional satellites will be added later.
But there are many unanswered questions
For now, news This is a welcome step forward, but it still leaves key questions unanswered. In particular:
- What geographic coverage will the first five satellites provide?
- When will the service be launched?
- How much will it cost?
9to5Mac Principles
Apple's use of certain radio frequencies is intended to prioritize reliability over throughput. The goal of the emergency service is to ensure that important information—location, nature of the emergency, assistance required—can be sent from as many places as possible.
It's unclear whether 5G radio will work. Spectrum may be able to match this reliability, even if it does offer more capacity where possible.
Ultimately, the two services appear to be complementary rather than competing, as AT&T is more focused on competing with existing satellite services telephony However, expanded support for older iPhones would be welcome in emergency situations.
T-Mobile is working on a similar service with SpaceX's Starlink.
