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Emergency SOS via satellite

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Re: Emergency SOS via satellite

#181

Post by lxgr »

brookst wrote: post #136
rtkwe wrote: post #112

Earlier quoted context omitted.

GPS has always been available to get location information even offline. What you usually don't get at the user end is a map of where you are because maps apps don't cache or download automatically. I've installed OSMAnd+ and downloaded a lot of maps to avoid that and I wish Google Maps or Apple Maps made it easier to download a large swath like you can with OSM. (you can even download POI to still be able to do some…

I believe it is T-Mobile and Starlink, though very early stage (just a press release[0] about "a vision to give customers a crucial additional layer of connectivity" that "aims to work" with existing phones, far as I can tell). And yes, the Apple announcement is just the productization of a feature in the Qualcomm X65[1]. But I think this is a case where the technical implementation is the easiest part; I would be su…

"Band n53" has been widely reported in the context of various iPhone satellite rumors, but I still believe that this was actually just bad reporting: Band n53 is essentially terrestrial LTE/5G usage of Globalstar's global spectrum rights in a band that was previously designated for ground-to-space usage.

Whatever the iPhone 14 is using to talk to the Globalstar satellites, I'd be extremely surprised if it looked anything like LTE or 5G at the physical or logical layer.

[1] https://investors.globalstar.com/news-releases/news-release-...

Re: Emergency SOS via satellite

#183

Post by Turing_Machine »

sschueller wrote: post #37

Quoted post unavailable.

Here in Alaska, once you get outside the Anchorage bowl, you might get reception in each small town or village, and maybe a km or two outside. That's it.

From your name I suspect you may be German (if you are Austrian or Swiss, the following still applies, only more so).

Alaska alone is nearly 5 times the size of Germany, with less than 1% of the population.

Re: Emergency SOS via satellite

#184

Post by lxgr »

310260 wrote: post #111
WhyNotHugo wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I was really wondering what kind of satellite-based emergency SOS they were using -- mostly because I'd never heard of it until it was being shipped in a commercial product, which is something very rare to see. So basically, they have their own infrastructure for their own proprietary 911 service with global coverage? It's really amazing that we live in a world where we can have such infrastructure, but at the same t…

>It's really amazing that we live in a world where we can have such infrastructure, but at the same time, it's owned and controlled by a single corporation. I get this sentiment. Globalstar does have competitors at least. Iridium and Inmarsat offer comparable services though not as seamlessly integrated into a popular consumer device. I do wonder what happens if you aren't paying for the service but have an emergency…

It's currently free (for the first two years after purchase of the device), and I suspect that while emergency SOS messaging will always remain free, they will add paid P2P messaging soon.

Re: Emergency SOS via satellite

#185

Post by lxgr »

dont__panic wrote: post #168
Buttons840 wrote: post #154

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Does InReach require a monthly cost? Alternatively, you can spend about $200 one time on a personal locator beacon that requires no ongoing costs. It can't do two-way communication but activating it sends out a specific frequency picked up by satellites and is the equivalent of calling 911. Rescuers will come to help you. All serious hikers and outdoor adventurers should carry a personal locator beacon.

Any personal locator beacon recommendations? It's one of those items that I could very much use during bike touring, hiking, and bikepacking... but I've never bought one because it seems like a very large cost for something I won't even test until it is a matter of life and death. Out of curiosity... is there any way to alert your local emergency department in advance of testing a beacon, so you can verify that it wo…

"Live testing" is discouraged: https://www.sarsat.noaa.gov/emergency_beacon-testing/

Re: Emergency SOS via satellite

#186

Post by Scoundreller »

balozi wrote: post #164

Predictions of where this tech goes from here: shall the satellite SOS infrastructure be adapted into full-blown satellite-based wireless service for all mobile devices? I am thinking global 5G capabilities off satellites, untethered from domestic wireless network carriers. Sort of like how doctors got pager service in 1950 progressed into the smartphones we have today.

I’m hoping for some low bit rate stuff.

I suspect coordinating the uplink might be difficult to squeeze a lot of data through, but downlink could have a linear stream of repeating data (weather, news) that you could get an update on at any time by pointing your phone the right way, especially if you can draw an arc that follows the satellite going past by.

And that wouldn’t chew battery power either.

My bandwidth needs are extremely minimal outside of work/home, so with a tiny bit of bandwidth, some texting and news updates could make it possible to live a wireless-subscription free life.

Something like othernet: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Othernet

Re: Emergency SOS via satellite

#187

Post by lxgr »

COGlory wrote: post #123

I was just on the ground coordinating with 4 friends that got buried in 5+ foot of unexpected snow in the mountains (forecast said 1"-2" when they went up) for the rifle opener in Montana. I wound up getting sick so I stayed home (hilariously I was the only one who got an elk) but I sent them up with my InReach. All I can say is THANK GOD that I did, because it turned into over a week long effort to get them out. Two…

> you really need to be able to send texts.

I'd be surprised if Apple does not launch this as a paid feature sooner rather than later (possibly as a perk part of Apple One or one of their other subscription plans).

Re: Emergency SOS via satellite

#188

Post by Cerium »

ausudhz wrote: post #160
DrBenCarson wrote: post #144

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My guess is they're going to keep it free as long as you get a new phone every 2 years or add some more features and charge for those. Don't think they want to look like they're charging people to keep their lives.

Well, the alternative is that other phones don't have it. So I think this is an advantage. If, lets say, it costs 4.99 a year, I think a good percentage of people would do that (me included, even though I'm not an iPhone user).

$5 a year would feel miserly. A feature like this should be free or reasonably expensive. If you can do it for free, it is a benefit of belonging to the top tier phone club. If you charge a bit you sell it as a lifestyle choice: "I go places, but I don't need to buy a separate PLB".

Re: Emergency SOS via satellite

#189

Post by Johnny555 »

Buttons840 wrote: post #154
COGlory wrote: post #123

I was just on the ground coordinating with 4 friends that got buried in 5+ foot of unexpected snow in the mountains (forecast said 1"-2" when they went up) for the rifle opener in Montana. I wound up getting sick so I stayed home (hilariously I was the only one who got an elk) but I sent them up with my InReach. All I can say is THANK GOD that I did, because it turned into over a week long effort to get them out. Two…

Does InReach require a monthly cost? Alternatively, you can spend about $200 one time on a personal locator beacon that requires no ongoing costs. It can't do two-way communication but activating it sends out a specific frequency picked up by satellites and is the equivalent of calling 911. Rescuers will come to help you. All serious hikers and outdoor adventurers should carry a personal locator beacon.

Does InReach require a monthly cost?

Yeah, the cheapest plan is $14.95/mo ($11.95/mo if you pay for 12 months) and includes 10 "free" text's, $0.50/text after that.

I wish they had a non-cost plan (or maybe $10/year) plus $5/text or something like that for use in an emergency. I have an InReach, but haven't used it for an emergency (yet), I've sent a few texts to friends/family while outside of cellular coverage since they are "free", but would rather save money and only pay if I need to use it in an emergency situation.

Maybe they'll have to get more flexible with their plans now that the iPhone has this feature, and T-Mobile is reportedly coming out with Satellite connectivity for phones.

Re: Emergency SOS via satellite

#190

Post by alach11 »

This must have been such an exciting feature to develop. It's great to be able to work on something very likely to save lives in the near future. And clearly a lot of love was put into the UX of the product.
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