On January 29th, Patently Apple posted a report titled “Apple and SpaceX have been Secretly working with T-Mobile to support the Starlink Satellite Network on iPhones.” It’s now being reported that Apple has announced the expansion of operator satellite service support to include Japan’s au by KDDI and New Zealand One NZ users can now use satellite communication services on iPhones’ beginning with iPhone 14.

This service is a supplement to the Globalstar satellite text messaging function using SpaceX's Starlink direct satellite service to provide services to users in areas with insufficient cellular network coverage.

Apple has confirmed that the iPhone 14 series and subsequent models support both operator satellite communication services and the built-in Globalstar satellite text messaging function. Currently, three operators around the world have access to this service, including T-Mobile in the United States, au in Japan, and One NZ in New Zealand.

Japan’s au by KDDI will work with Okinawa Cellular to provide services to users. According to reports, this is Japan's first mobile phone direct satellite service, which users can use for free without application. In addition to Apple’s iPhone, it is also compatible with more than 50 smartphone models from Samsung, Google, Sharp, Sony, Kyocera, and Xiaomi.

Au says its services already cover more than 99.9% of Japan's population, but due to Japan's unique topography, its regional coverage is only 60%.

Starting today, au users can use satellite direct connection services free of charge throughout Japan, supporting text messaging, location sharing, receiving earthquake and tsunami warnings and J-Alert, and using Google Gemini.

Commenting on the launch of au Starlink Direct, Gwynne Shotwell, President & COO of SpaceX, said: "I'm very excited to bring direct-to-cell phone connectivity to Japan through au by KDDI, the first in Asia and one of the first in the world. Both Starlink and direct-to-cell are game-changing technologies, making connecting the unconnected simple and bringing potentially life-saving capability to the people of Japan for disaster and other emergency responses."