iPhone 14 users can now connect with emergency services when
cellular and Wi-Fi coverage are not available; the service extends
to France, Germany, Ireland, and the UK in December
Apple® today announced its groundbreaking safety service
Emergency SOS via satellite is now available to customers in the US
and Canada. Available on all iPhone® 14 models, the innovative
technology enables users to message with emergency services while
outside of cellular and Wi-Fi coverage. Additionally, if users want
to reassure friends and family of their whereabouts while traveling
off the grid, they can now open the Find My™ app and share their
location via satellite. Emergency SOS via satellite is available in
the US and Canada starting today, November 15, and will come to
France, Germany, Ireland, and the UK in December.
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the full release here:
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Apple’s groundbreaking safety service
Emergency SOS via satellite becomes available to customers in the
US and Canada starting today. (Photo: Business Wire)
“Some of the most popular places to travel are off the beaten
path and simply lack cellular coverage. With Emergency SOS via
satellite, the iPhone 14 lineup provides an indispensable tool that
can get users the help they need while they are off the grid,” said
Greg Joswiak, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing.
“Our teams worked tirelessly to tackle a new set of technical
challenges to bring this service to life, in addition to building a
reliable on-the-ground infrastructure. Emergency SOS via satellite
is a breakthrough service available only on the iPhone 14 lineup,
and a new innovation that we hope will provide our customers some
peace of mind.”
Every model in the iPhone 14 lineup — iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus,
iPhone 14 Pro, and iPhone 14 Pro Max — can connect directly to a
satellite through a combination of custom-designed components and
deeply integrated software. Emergency SOS via satellite builds on
existing features vital to iPhone users, including Emergency SOS,
Medical ID, emergency contacts, and Find My location sharing,
offering the ability to connect to a satellite for a more
360-degree approach to sharing critical information with emergency
services, family, and friends. This game-changing service allows
Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs) — or emergency services call
centers — to connect to even more users in emergency situations,
and requires no additional software or protocols to enable
communications. Users will be connected directly to emergency
services that are equipped to receive text messages, or to relay
centers with Apple-trained emergency specialists who are ready to
contact PSAPs that cannot receive text messages on the user’s
behalf.
“Providing Emergency SOS via satellite is an important
breakthrough that will save lives. The critical work being done by
Apple to create innovative new solutions to support 911 providers
and first responders is a huge step forward in protecting
Californians and the broader public during an emergency situation,”
said Mark Ghilarducci, the California Governor’s Office of
Emergency Services’ director.
How Emergency SOS via Satellite Works
iPhone can quickly and easily call emergency services if a user
is in need of help, even if they are unable to dial 911. With
Emergency SOS via satellite — introduced with the iPhone 14 lineup
— if a user is not able to reach emergency services because no
cellular or Wi-Fi coverage is available, an easy-to-use interface
appears on iPhone to get the user help utilizing a satellite
connection. A short questionnaire appears to help the user answer
vital questions with a few simple taps, which is transmitted to
dispatchers in the initial message, to ensure they are able to
quickly understand a user’s situation and location. Apple worked
closely with experts to review standard questions and protocols to
identify the most common reasons for calling emergency
services.
Following the questionnaire, the intuitive interface guides the
user where to point their iPhone to connect and sends the initial
message. This message includes the user’s questionnaire responses;
location, including altitude; iPhone battery level; and Medical ID,
if enabled. The questionnaire and follow-up messages are relayed
directly via satellite to dispatchers that accept text messages, or
to relay centers staffed by Apple‑trained specialists who can call
for help on the user’s behalf. The transcript can also be shared
with the user’s emergency contacts to keep them informed.1
“We dedicate our lives to helping people in need, but there are
inevitably people who are not able to contact a dispatcher.
Emergency SOS via satellite will allow us to help iPhone users in
more remote areas who might not otherwise be able to reach us,”
said Jennifer Kirkland, ENP, the Grand Junction Regional
Communication Center’s 911 center manager. “Because this service
requires no additional technology for PSAPs, and because Apple has
implemented a relay center model that 911 operators are familiar
with, we can expect a seamless rollout, both for the PSAPs that
accept text messages, and for those that are still voice-only.”
Satellites move rapidly, have low bandwidth, and are located
thousands of miles away from Earth, so it can take a few minutes
for even short messages to get through. Apple designed and built
custom components and software that allow iPhone 14 to connect to a
satellite’s unique frequencies without a bulky antenna. A text
compression algorithm was also developed to reduce the average size
of messages by 300 percent, making the experience as fast as
possible. With Emergency SOS via satellite, users can send and
receive messages in as little as 15 seconds in clear conditions.2
Using the built-in Emergency SOS via satellite demo, users can test
satellite connectivity on their iPhone by connecting to a real
satellite in range without calling emergency services, allowing
them to experience the process and familiarize themselves with the
service.
“Emergency SOS via satellite will not only be useful for those
who live in rural areas without cellular coverage, but also for
those who find themselves in the path of a natural disaster that
takes down mobile networks. It will allow members in impacted
communities to connect with 911 and get help, and that’s our
mission,” said Laurene Anderson, NENA: The 9-1-1 Association’s
president and Charlotte County, Florida’s E911 manager. “Awareness
and training will be key to seamless adoption of this service. What
Apple is doing to spread the word among dispatchers, and to let the
community practice with a demo mode that does not contact 911, will
help everyone know what to do when an emergency strikes.”
For users who go off the grid but don’t experience an emergency,
this advanced technology also enables them to share their location
via satellite with Find My. In the Find My app, users can open the
Me tab, swipe up to see My Location via Satellite, and tap Send My
Location. The satellite connection on the iPhone 14 lineup also
works with other safety features available on iPhone and Apple
Watch®, including Crash Detection and Fall Detection.3
Availability
- Emergency SOS via satellite and Find My via satellite are
available today in the US and Canada, and will be available in
France, Germany, Ireland, and the UK in December. The service will
be included for free for two years starting at the time of
activation of a new iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 Pro, and
iPhone 14 Pro Max.4
- Emergency SOS via satellite and Find My via satellite require
iOS 16.1.
- Up to 10 emergency contacts using iOS 16.1 and iMessage® will
see the user’s location, type of emergency, and a live transcript
of their conversation with emergency services. Emergency contacts
who are not on iPhone, and iPhone users who aren’t using iOS 16.1
or iMessage, will see the user’s location and type of emergency.
The user can opt to stop sharing their information with an
emergency contact at any time. In order to reach the relay center
or dispatcher closest to the user, location information will also
be shared with Apple.
- Connection and response times vary based on location, site
conditions, and other factors. See support.apple.com/kb/HT213426
for more information.
- Access to a satellite connection with Crash Detection and Fall
Detection on Apple Watch requires a connected iPhone 14 model
running iOS 16.1.
- Users who purchased an iPhone 14 model before the availability
date of Emergency SOS via satellite will receive two years of the
service free starting from the service availability date.
Apple revolutionized personal technology with the introduction
of the Macintosh in 1984. Today, Apple leads the world in
innovation with iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, and Apple TV.
Apple’s five software platforms — iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, and
tvOS — provide seamless experiences across all Apple devices and
empower people with breakthrough services including the App Store,
Apple Music, Apple Pay, and iCloud. Apple’s more than 100,000
employees are dedicated to making the best products on earth, and
to leaving the world better than we found it.
NOTE TO EDITORS: For additional information visit Apple Newsroom
(www.apple.com/newsroom), or call Apple’s Media Helpline at (408)
974-2042.
© 2022 Apple Inc. All rights reserved. Apple, the Apple logo,
iPhone, Find My, Apple Watch, and iMessage are trademarks of Apple.
Other company and product names may be trademarks of their
respective owners.
View source
version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221115005693/en/
Press Contacts: Alex Kirschner Apple alexkirschner@apple.com
(408) 974-2479 Renee Felton Apple rfelton@apple.com (669)
276-2182
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