In The News

CNN Business - Adding satellite service to new iPhones "should dominate the headlines," according to Ben Wood, chief analyst at CCS Insight. "The investment to add satellite capability should not be underestimated. It will likely have taken Apple years to put all the pieces of the puzzle in place including a commercial agreement with satellite provider Globalstar and the creation of the infrastructure needed to pass messages to the emergency services," Wood said.
Globalstar confirmed in a financial filing that it is the contractor for this project. Apple did not immediately respond to an email request for additional information. Read More >

Reuters - Apple Inc (AAPL.O) on Wednesday selected Globalstar Inc (GSAT.A) as its partner for a feature that would allow iPhone 14 users to send emergency messages from remote locations. The tech giant said it was dedicating $450 million from its advanced manufacturing fund toward satellite infrastructure to support the feature. GlobalStar will receive the majority of the funding, but the iPhone maker did not specify which other players will receive the rest and in what form. While Apple will pay for 95% of the approved capital expenditure for the new Globalstar satellites needed to support the service, Globalstar said it would still need to raise additional debt to construct and deploy the satellites. Read More >

Street Insider - On September 7, 2022, Apple Inc. (“Partner”) announced new satellite-enabled services for certain of its products (the “Services”). Globalstar, Inc. (“Globalstar” or the “Company”) will be the satellite operator for the Services pursuant to the terms agreement (the “Terms Agreement”) first disclosed in the Company’s Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019 Read More >

CNBC - Apple announced a long-rumored capability to connect its iPhone 14 series to satellites for emergency services during its event on Wednesday, through a partnership with Globalstar. The feature is designed to connect an iPhone 14′s antennas directly to a satellite, to send a message in areas unconnected by cell towers. Apple’s manager of satellite modeling and simulation Ashley Williams said an algorithm in the phone compresses text messages to a size that will “take less than 15 seconds to send” to a satellite, before its relayed to a ground station and on to an emergency service provider.
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CNET - Apple is adding something new to the iPhone 14 that it hopes you won't have to use: satellite connectivity. Called Emergency SOS via satellite, the new feature is designed to connect you to emergency personnel when traditional cellular and Wi-Fi service isn't available. Working in partnership with satellite telecommunications company Globalstar, the feature will use Globalstar's network of satellites so you can send text messages from the Messages app to emergency services or contacts when other connectivity options aren't available. Read More >

Tech Crunch - The new feature is different from the satellite-based data and text connectivity incoming from Lynk and, assuming they can get it to work, T-Mobile and Starlink. Those are essentially orbital cell towers that are strong enough to reach and receive signal from the surface, while Apple is reportedly partnering with Globalstar, which is a traditional satellite connectivity operator that operates using bands that normally require a special antenna. Read More >

U.S. News - (Reuters) - Satellite services firm Globalstar Inc said on Wednesday it will partner with Apple Inc for a feature on the company's flagship iPhone 14 series that will allow users to call for help during an emergency. Apple will pay for 95% of the approved capital expenditure for the new satellites that would be needed to support the service, but Globalstar will still need to raise additional debt to construct and deploy the satellites, Globalstar said. "Goldman Sachs & Co LLC and is currently exploring capital markets opportunities and expects to complete a financing in the fourth quarter of 2022," Globalstar said in a regulatory filing. Read More >

Yahoo Finance - (Reuters) - Apple Inc on Wednesday selected Globalstar Inc as its partner for a feature that would allow iPhone 14 users to send emergency messages from remote locations. Read More >

ViaSatellite - Apple’s new iPhone 14 will be able to send emergency SoS messages outside the reach of cellular networks, enabled by Globalstar satellite connectivity. The service will be available on the iPhone 14 in November in the U.S. and Canada. It will be free for two years but Apple did not specify what the service would cost after two years. Apple announced the service in a Wednesday keynote, and Globalstar confirmed in SEC filings that it will provide the satellite connectivity. Apple did not mention Globalstar by name in the keynote. Globalstar said it is allocating 85% of its current and future network capacity to support the services and has agreed to prioritize the services on its network. Read More >

Tech Central - Satellite services firm Globalstar will partner with Apple for a feature on the company’s flagship iPhone 14 series that will allow users to call for help during an emergency. Apple will pay for 95% of the approved capital expenditure for the new satellites that will be needed to support the service, but Globalstar will still need to raise additional debt to construct and deploy the satellites, Globalstar said.Globalstar’s stock fell about 16% on Wednesday before being halted ahead of the announcement. The stock has gained about 50% year to date. Read More >