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From: Gelato <gelato@.is.invalid>
Newsgroups: misc.phone.mobile.iphone,comp.mobile.android
Subject: Re: T-Mobile opens satellite communications to Android, iOS, AT&E & Verizon
Date: Tue, 11 Feb 2025 12:06:49 -0500
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On 11 Feb 2025 11:51:38 +0000 (GMT), Theo wrote:

> In comp.mobile.android Alan <nuh-uh@nope.com> wrote:
>> On 2025-02-09 20:05, Marion wrote:
>>> T-Mobile opens satellite communications to Android, iOS, AT&E & Verizon
>>> https://www.cnet.com/tech/mobile/t-mobile-opens-up-its-starlink-beta- 
>>> including-to-people-with-att-and-verizon/
>>> 
>>> "As part of the beta, people in the program will be able
>>>  �to send SMS text messages when they're outdoors, even in �areas where 
>>> they don't normally get T-Mobile's terrestrial
>>>  �coverage. The beta service will be free and open to all �T-Mobile 
>>> postpaid users until July, with the carrier also �making it available 
>>> for free during this time to AT&T
>>>  �and Verizon customers."
>>> 
>>> The article discusses how Verizon advertises things it can't do, where it
>>> doesn't mention that Apple is infamous for advertising what doesn't exist.
>> 'Use Emergency SOS via satellite on your iPhone
>> With iPhone 14 or later (all models), you can use Emergency SOS via 
>> satellite to text emergency services when you're off the grid with no 
>> cellular and Wi-Fi coverage.'
>> 
>> <https://support.apple.com/en-ca/101573>
>> 
>> 'About Messages via satellite on your iPhone
>> With iPhone 14 or later (all models), you can send iMessages or SMS 
>> messages via satellite when you�re off the grid with no cellular and 
>> Wi-Fi coverage.'
>> 
>> <https://support.apple.com/en-ca/120930>
>> 
>> And:
>> 
>> 'Messages via satellite is available in the U.S. and Canada. It's free 
>> for two years after the activation of an iPhone 14 or later (all models).'
>> 
>> Kind of seems that it exists to me.
> 
> That's a different thing.  The Apple feature has added extra hardware to the
> phones to talk to existing satellites.  Starlink have added extra hardware
> to the satellites to talk to existing phones.  The latter has much more
> applicability as it doesn't involve any hardware changes to the phones, so
> in theory would work with any phone (currently limited to phones approved by
> T-Mobile for now, but includes both Android and iOS and goes back several
> years of releases).
> 
> Theo

Isn't a key difference also the size & frequency of the possible messaging?