The rise of satellite communication capable devices and SOS alerts

Cell coverage isn’t always reliable. When you don’t have any bars and you’re in a remote area, out at sea, on a business trip in an area with unreliable cell service, or hiking canyons, your cell phone won’t help you. But a satellite communications device or satellite phone will.

Satellite devices and satellite-enabled smartphones may work worldwide, regardless of cellular networks. These devices rely on a system, or constellation, of communication satellites in various types of earth orbit.   

A satellite communications device can be lifesaving during emergencies, especially when conventional communication methods fail. These devices offer reliable SOS alerts, two-way communication, and peace of mind.   

Global Rescue responds to hundreds of SOS calls monthly, coordinating rescues worldwide for individuals using satellite devices. These range from someone rescued from a life raft off the U.S. Atlantic coast to evacuating a snake bite victim in Australia. Other rescues include a hiker in Sweden with a dislocated shoulder, a 65-year-old trekker in Canada with an ankle injury, a user in Scotland whose wife fell and severely injured her back, and a teenage hiker separated from his family during an unforeseen wildfire in a national forest.

We coordinated with ZOLEO, a satellite communications device company, to receive SOS messages from their devices. After receiving the SOS messages in our operations center, Global Rescue coordinated with emergency services to rescue a helicopter pilot who crashed onto a frozen lake north of Goose Bay Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. The helicopter pilot was medevaced to safety with minor injuries.   

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