This might save your life!
 

Depending on the model of your phone, you may be able to call 911 even if cellular service goes down!

How to make a satellite call to 911 during cell service outages

Thanks, works on iOS 18 for my phone.

Doesn’t all phones have emergency only capability? Two of my old phones with no service connected, I can still use them to make emergency call.

I doubt they would work if there was no cellular service. How would they connect?

The same as a phone with down towers becomes a sat call, as posted by OP. When you no longer have cell towers, a message on your connected phone will say Emergency Call Only. Both old phone screens have in large print “ emergency calls only” When you donate old phones, they can be given to someone in need to make emergency call only.

I will give you a heads up in certain Government facilities, check your phone, that Emergency Call Only may appear. Also if you are in a medical facility, with lead lined walls for a test or procedure you will also see the same message. In certain lead lined rooms land line is your only communication.

For older phones, Emergency Call Only means the phone will use the cellular network to dial 911 but no other numbers. It can still make these calls even if no cellular plan (AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, etc) is active for the phone. It still requires the cellular network; if cell towers are down, these phones will not work at all.

Some newer cell phones (iphone 14 and up, some Androids) contain hardware and software that can connect to the same satellites that Satellite Phones use. These newer phones can send messages using the satellite networks. These phones provide the possibility of sending and receiving messages even when the cellular network is unavailable. Not all phones will have this capability.

I hope you never need to prove your theory. I have a feeling you will be disappointed.

My record of Single CPR is 33 minutes, effectively, little downhill after that, but you continue until help arrives, no matter how exhausted.

Onstar in our car for help with medical emergency or an accident. Used 4 times in 9 years reporting 2 accidents, and 2 medical emergency.

Also our home and outside the home we have a device that connects directly to the closest sheriffs department anywhere in the US, for help. (Because sometimes 911 is bogged down.)
Yes it works, even during a tornado event where all communication was down. I have activated 3 times, with Two way communication, with Unprecedented results. My phone is always last resort

Looks like for hurricane Milton, like Helene Starlink is providing emergency texting via T-Mobile for all phones. More details here: https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1843903981480980642

Like this quote: "If a phone connects to a Starlink satellite, it will have 1 to 2 bars of signal and show "T-Mobile SpaceX" in the network name. Users may have to manually retry text messages if they don't go through at first, as this is being delivered on a best-effort basis. The service works best outdoors, and occasionally works indoors near a window."

Newer iPhone just update to ver 18

Good to know OP. Thanks for the info.

Yes. They do. And have for many years

Emergency (cellular) different from satellite calls
 

EXACTLY.....and, every cellular tower has a bank of batteries in the little house at the base. So, when cellular goes "down" it is not the tower itself, it's all the router equipment at the base of each tower.

911
 

On a slightly different note I have cell service with T mobile and just moved house close to Chula Vista rec center off Del Mar.

my calls are constantly dropped so I need recommendations for another carrier please. If anyone is familiar with where I live.

Also I have Xfinity for internet which is also lousy here, any recommendations for that please.

Thanks so much,

Lanie

You can also text anyone using satellite with ios18 and iPhones 14 and greater

I'm another unsatisfied T-Mobile customer (Piedmont). The only reason I keep it is because my wife's phone is locked to the T-Mobile network (got a good deal on it). I'm probably the last person in TV who has a land line, although it's not a real one like "back in the day," when you could lose electrical power to your house and your land line still worked.

This is the service from the newly launched Starlink direct to ground cell phone link capable satellites that the OP is referring to in post #1. Not all Starlink satellites have this capability. Your compatible phone (wth the new update mentioned) will default to this feature if no other connection is found (cell, wifi) and is not just for emergencies (as I understand it, but limit your use when there is a disaster). Your older cell phone does not have the hardware modem or software to do Starlink or other satellite comms. Refer to your provider and phone manual. Your phone cannot directly connect to a satellite otherwise. The service is text only and works best as direct line-of-sight to the satellites.

All the other references are to older technologies that exist and need their own hardware/software but have various levels of service. There are many other ways to link and communicate these days.

A cell phone without those features requires a cell tower (or a WiFi connection - this presumes an intact internet service and service plan). The 911 service is available on many older phones as a last default so anyone can call emergency services even though they are not the phone account owner and will use any cell service provider found.

Note that there may be some GPS disruptions, communication difficulties, satellite anomalies, risk to astronauts, and ground effects with unfortunate timing for our areas rescue effort from recent solar activity that interacts with the earth magnetospere and atmosphere:

Spaceweather.com Time Machine

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Impressive CPR feat. Did the patient survive in the long term?

Onstar uses the cellular network.

What is the device you have for law enforcement contact? That sounds interesting. Over the years there have been a few internet network services that local police use as a public service. There is National Night Out. Recently, NISPs are coming online (local broadband networks).

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Auroras occurIng NOW
 

The Solar Storm and 3 CME's reached Earth tonight that I spoke about before. My wife sent me this picture from our south central Pennsylvania home. There is a slim chance of further extension to the southern states.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/kx1XD9RDP8n2kabq5

Aurora Photos

I see sightings as far south as Greenville, North Carolina so far.

Spaceweather.com Realtime Image Gallery

The Watcher