- Code within the latest Android beta reveals Google is preparing to release a built-in satellite messaging feature in partnership with T-Mobile.
- There are many areas where cellular connectivity is either spotty or nonexistent because the nearest cell tower is too far away, but low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites can still be reached.
- Smartphone vendors have been racing to include satellite connectivity support in their devices ever since Apple rolled it out on the iPhone 14.
Cell towers blanket most parts of the United States and other developed nations, but they still don’t reach many remote areas. If you’re ever in an emergency without cellular connectivity, you’d better hope you were prepared for such a situation, let someone know beforehand about your plans, find an area with limited connectivity, or use a device capable of satellite connectivity to send an emergency SOS. The vast majority of Android smartphones currently don’t support sending text messages via satellite, but Google might be changing that in Android 15.
When Apple launched the iPhone 14 series, one lauded feature was Emergency SOS. Emergency SOS uses special phone antenna hardware to establish a direct connection with low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites. This lets the iPhone send text messages to emergency services without cellular connectivity. During the devastating Maui wildfires last August, several people were able to text for help after the fires destroyed the local cellular infrastructure.