SpaceX and Twitter (X) owner Elon Musk took to his social media platform to declare that SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet provider will offer free emergency services access to mobile phones “worldwide.”
The proclamation comes in direct contradiction to the current plans of tech giants like Apple and Google, which have both added satellite emergency services to their phones and plan to charge for the feature in the future.
Apple launched Emergency SOS via Satellite on the iPhone 14 series and initially promised iPhone 14 owners one free year of service. However, the company later extended the free period an extra year. Google, for its part, only just launched Satellite SOS on the new Pixel 9 series, and only in the U.S. for now. While Google hasn’t said officially, Android Authority found hints in the Android 15 beta code that pointed to Google offering the service for free for two years.
While Apple and Google offer their own satellite-based emergency features for their own respective phones (and eventually will charge for it), SpaceX has a more ambitious plan. After launching Starlink’s ‘Direct to Cell‘ service with T-Mobile, which enables texting, calling and data across the globe on existing smartphones, SpaceX requested the FCC expedite license approvals to bring satellite SOS to all users in the U.S., including people who aren’t T-Mobile customers.
After thinking it through, SpaceX Starlink will provide emergency services access for mobile phones for people in distress for free.
This applies worldwide, subject to approval by country governments.
Can’t have a situation where someone dies because they forgot or were unable…
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 27, 2024
Responding to a post about the news on Twitter, Musk wrote that expanding satellite-based SOS services to more people could be really helpful in emergency situations. In another response, Musk claimed that “Starlink will provide emergency services access for mobile phones for people in distress for free.”
“This applies worldwide, subject to approval by country governments,” wrote Musk. “Can’t have a situation where someone dies because they forgot or were unable to pay for it.”
While globally available, satellite-based emergency services would be a huge benefit to people everywhere, it’s worth taking the statement with a grain of salt. For one, there’s the matter of getting approvals from various governments, which could prove difficult. For another, Musk infamously says a lot of things on Twitter that never actually happen. Still, if SpaceX did go through with free emergency services, it could force Google and Apple to offer their services for free as well, which would be a win for consumers.
Header image: Starlink
Source: Elon Musk (Twitter) Via: Android Police
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