Elon Musk has stated that people in distress will be able to get Starlink emergency services on their mobile phones for free using SpaceX’s Starlink system.
According to Elon Musk, this proposal applies worldwide and is subject to approval from governments.
In a post on his X platform, he said: “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 to pay for it.”
Meanwhile, SpaceX in partnership with T-Mobile, is currently seeks approval from the Federal Communications Commission to operate its direct-to-cellular Starlink technology commercially.
It is not clear how the Starlink emergency services will work, but in the coming days, we will know more about it.
Experts say the Starlink emergency services could be similar to Apple’s Emergency SOS service currently available on newer versions of the iPhones. The feature allows iPhones that are out of cellular range to request help from emergency services via satellite, among other features.
The iPhone 14 and 15 models come with Apple’s Emergency SOS function, which is free for two years once the phone is activated.
