--- title: Globalstar Begins Replacing the Satellite Network Behind the iPhone's Emergency SOS description: MDA launched the first 8 of 17 satellites to renew the aging Globalstar network behind the iPhone Emergency SOS, as Apple satellite future shifts to Amazon. author: Darie Nani (Editor-in-Chief) updated: 2026-08-16T15:17:41.401Z canonical: https://www.sovereignmagazine.com/article/globalstar-hibleo4-satellites-iphone-emergency-sos image: https://cdn.nanimediahouse.com/mda-space-globalstar-satellites-163525.webp categories: Science & Tech content_type: News region: Global publication: Sovereign Magazine schema_type: Article --- The first eight of seventeen satellites built to renew Globalstar's low Earth orbit constellation reached their orbital plane over the weekend, the start of a replacement for the aging network that carries the iPhone's Emergency SOS via satellite service. A SpaceX Falcon 9 lifted the satellites from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral, Florida, at 9:12 p.m. ET on Saturday, August 15. Globalstar said all eight HIBLEO-4 spacecraft reached their orbital plane and are now in commissioning and in-orbit testing. MDA Space, the Canadian company that built them, says the remaining nine satellites are in final integration. ## MDA Built the Satellites in Montreal MDA Space developed, integrated and tested the satellites in Montreal, and the company says these are its first low Earth orbit satellites delivered as prime contractor for a commercial communications constellation. Chief executive Mike Greenley said the program “marked a major transformation in our design and high-volume satellite production process,” and that MDA is “ramping up even further” now that a new high-volume manufacturing facility is running. The satellites are meant to extend the life of Globalstar's constellation, which MDA says supports direct-to-device satellite services on select phones and Internet-of-things applications. ## For iPhone Owners, Nothing Changes Yet Globalstar's current satellites launched between 1998 and 2007 with a nominal design life of about seven years, leaving the fleet well past its intended lifespan. The new satellites are a life extension rather than a capacity expansion, so there is no new capability for an iPhone user. Emergency SOS via satellite and Messages via Satellite, available on the iPhone 14 and later since September 2022, already work; the replacement keeps that service running as the older spacecraft age out. ## Apple Funded the Service, and Amazon Is Buying the Network Beneath It Globalstar is the exclusive satellite network behind Apple's Emergency SOS and Messages via Satellite. Apple committed $450 million to Globalstar in 2022 and a further $1.5 billion in November 2024, roughly $1.1 billion in cash plus about $400 million for a stake of around 20%, according to reporting, and roughly 85% of Globalstar's network capacity is dedicated to Apple's services. In April 2026, [Amazon agreed to acquire Globalstar for about $11.5 billion](https://appleinsider.com/articles/26/04/14/amazons-11-billion-globalstar-deal-has-implications-for-future-iphone-satellite-features), folding its satellite operations, infrastructure and mobile-satellite-services spectrum into Amazon's Leo satellite business, with Apple's roughly 20% stake caught up in the deal. Apple and Amazon also [signed a separate agreement for Amazon's Leo constellation to power future iPhone satellite features](https://www.macrumors.com/2026/04/14/apple-and-amazon-ink-satellite-deal-globalstar/). ## Bigger Networks Are Rebuilding the Direct-to-Device Market The wider direct-to-device satellite market is being rebuilt by larger, newer networks. SpaceX's Starlink Direct to Cell, run with T-Mobile, is expanding beyond text messaging toward broader data, and AST SpaceMobile is building large phased-array satellites with AT&T, Verizon and Vodafone. Globalstar and Apple's edge is a service that already works on iPhones in customers' hands, over dedicated spectrum. Its limit is an aging, capacity-constrained network, which this weekend's launch renews without expanding. ## FAQ **Q: What is Emergency SOS via satellite on iPhone?** It lets an iPhone 14 or later connect to a satellite to reach emergency services when no cellular or Wi-Fi signal is available, using the Globalstar network. Apple's support documentation describes the service. **Q: Which satellite network powers iPhone satellite messaging?** Globalstar. Its low Earth orbit constellation carries Apple's Emergency SOS and Messages via Satellite, and the satellites launched this weekend are replacements for that network. **Q: Is Apple's satellite service free?** It has been free for iPhone 14 and later owners, and reporting indicates it runs at no charge through November 2026. Apple has not detailed pricing beyond that. **Q: What is direct-to-device satellite?** It is a connection made straight to an ordinary phone without extra hardware, the category that includes the iPhone's Emergency SOS as well as newer services from Starlink and AST SpaceMobile. **Q: Will Amazon take over iPhone satellite features?** Amazon agreed in April 2026 to acquire Globalstar, and Apple and Amazon separately agreed that Amazon's Leo constellation would power future iPhone satellite features. Today's service still runs on Globalstar.