Apple's Satellite Efforts Could Expand to Provide Voice, Internet Data - PCMag

A caller patent suggests Apple is funny successful 1 time supplying dependable and net information to iPhone users done orbiting satellites. 

The institution already provides outer connection connected the iPhone 14 lineup. But for now, the Emergency SOS diagnostic tin lone beryllium utilized to nonstop substance messages to exigency services (and stock your determination via the Find My app). That could alteration successful the future, though. Apple has conscionable been granted a new patent(Opens successful a caller window) successful the US that concerns a “communication terminal,” which tin beryllium fitted connected orbiting satellites. 

Patently Apple, which spotted(Opens successful a caller window) the filing, notes that the patent mentions incorporating transceivers connected the connection terminal for the purposes of powering dependable and net services. 

“Satellite communications information conveyed by transceivers and antenna radiators may see media information (e.g., streaming video, tv data, outer vigor data, etc.), dependable information (e.g., telephone dependable data), net data, and/or immoderate different desired data,” Apple’s patent says. 

Diagrams from Apple's patent filing.

The aforesaid patent mentions utilizing antennas connected the connection terminal to found “wireless links” with perchance hundreds oregon adjacent thousands of supported devices.

The patent signals that Apple whitethorn person large ambitions for providing outer connectivity to next-generation iPhones, allowing customers to spell online adjacent erstwhile nary compartment operation is successful reach. In the near-term, Apple has already revealed it’s spending $450 cardinal to grow the outer networking infrastructure crossed the US to enactment the Emergency SOS feature.

In addition, the institution has agreed to assistance outer communications supplier Globalstar motorboat caller satellites. This includes Apple paying 95% of the costs for the caller satellites. In return, Globalstar volition allocate 85% of its existent and aboriginal web to Cupertino. 

Apple won’t beryllium unsocial successful the cellular outer market. T-Mobile is partnering with SpaceX to usage the company’s Starlink strategy to proviso dependable and net information to the carrier’s customers. The work is expected to motorboat sometime adjacent twelvemonth utilizing existing LTE T-Mobile smartphones.