In The News

Wall Street Journal - Apple Inc. said users of its newest iPhone models will be able to send distress signals and broadcast their locations from far-flung areas where ground-based cellular towers aren’t within reach. The new service, called Emergency SOS via satellite, will allow iPhone 14 users to send special low-bandwidth text messages to emergency responders through space-based relays. Apple said the service will launch in November in the U.S. and Canada. The company plans to offer the service for free for two years. Smartphones have long used the U.S. Global Positioning System's existing network of satellites for wayfinding, but technical limitations have typically kept consumer-grade devices from reaching space-borne communications networks. The power needed to send a strong signal skyward has restricted the market to heavy, expensive satellite phones from specialists like Iridium Communications Inc. and Globalstar Inc. Read More >

Connectivity Business News - Satellite communications provider Globalstar announced today that Apple is its long-rumored $327 million customer. Globalstar made the announcement as a Reg FD filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Globalstar is required to raise additional debt capital, according to its agreement with Apple, the filing said Read More >

Claudia Smith, Regional Business Development Manager, Globalstar, discusses what satellite IoT technologies can do to combat natural disasters.

Besides loss of life, there are other significant losses that communities suffer due to natural disasters, such as damage to infrastructure, misplacement of assets and overall financial impact. 

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When fires do break out, knowing the location of firefighting vehicles and crews is critical. Solar-powered satellite asset trackers, feeding GPS coordinates to digital mapping systems, let fire managers in the US Forest Service make the most efficient use of every vehicle in their fleet. 

Emergency managers spend their time imagining the worst that can happen and trying to prepare for it. Satellite IoT is making the job easier by the year.

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Few industries stand to gain more than the agriculture sector does from the adoption of technology at scale. A plethora of studies have shown the benefits of using detailed, real-time information about crops – known as precision agriculture (precision ag) – to increase yields while reducing water, fertilizer, and herbicide. Additionally, livestock ranchers have achieved sharp reductions in lost and injured animals by tagging them with trackers that transmit their location and identify behavior that may signal problems.  Read More >

The Internet of Things (IoT) is revolutionizing the capabilities of smart, autonomous devices and transforming the way many industries conduct business. However, an IoT device is only useful so long as it maintains an internet connection. In remote areas, satellite networks are often the only surefire way to keep track of valuable assets. Read More >

Dave Haight is a prominent name in the IoT space. A telecom industry veteran, Haight is credited with developing the IoT business at AT&T, where he was instrumental in launching devices and connectivity solutions in key market segments, including automotive, tracking systems and healthcare. Under his leadership, AT&T added more than 30,000 points of distribution, in both retail and digital.

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WASHINGTON – Satellite 2022 – Globalstar's Vice President of IoT, David Haight, discusses Globalstar's ambitions for IoT growth and more productive partnerships with telecom service providers around the world.

Haight talks about why partnerships with carriers makes sense – there is a lot of overlap in the customers each industry is chasing – and the timing for new two-way IoT modules that can allow for customers to get more data and feedback about their assets in the field, especially in areas with poor cellular coverage or damaged terrestrial infrastructure.

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For sending messages from the wilderness to a party back in civilization, look into a one-way satellite messenger, like the SPOT GEN4 ($150, findmespot.com), with options that range from sending customized messages (you can program up to 1,250 messages) and your location to specific recipients to sending an SOS to the appropriate emergency-response team. Read More >

The SPOT Gen4 is for serious travelers who venture into areas without reliable cell phone coverage. It requires the activation of a service plan, but you can purchase a Flex plan for specific trips. The device fits into a pocket and can send your GPS coordinates to emergency responders at the touch of a button.  Read More >