KDDI to Launch Service Relaying SOS Messages via Satellites

Tokyo, April 23 (Jiji Press)--KDDI Corp. said Thursday that it will launch a service in late May that will relay emergency messages sent from outside the coverage area of its mobile base stations via Space X's Starlink satellite communication network.

The new service will allow users to send information, such as their names and the number of people requiring help, through apps such as "au NaviWalk." KDDI's SOS center will receive such messages around the clock.

The center will alert fire departments and other emergency response institutes in the nearby area, based on the content of these messages and location data.

The service will be available to subscribers to KDDI's mainstay "au" brand mobile plans and the Starlink service.

KDDI will also offer a service for its corporate customers that enables satellite communication in areas where its network is unavailable. This service is expected to help detect signs of disasters, such as floods, and bear and deer appearances.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]