Key apps that could make it a lot easy to communicate and navigate in places with no service will now be available on Rogers Satellite.
Rogers Communication launched text messaging services on their first-of-its-kind satellite beta program back in July. It will launch commercially on Dec. 9 and including multiple apps as well.
The apps included in the launch on Tuesday are WhatsApp, Google Maps, Accuweather, C, and CalTopo. The list of apps is expected to grow as developers update their apps to work over satellite.
It’s expected to expand to include data and voice services, including 911, next year.
There were over one million texts sent during the beta trial with the top usage areas being in the Garibaldi in B.C. and Algonquin Provincial Park in Ontario.
In a survey conducted by Rogers in November amongst 1,000 Canadians, 86 per cent felt that satellite-to-mobile texting would help provide peace-of-mind in place where there was no service and 89 per cent said it would be useful when traveling through areas with no cell coverage.
Rogers customers on some plans will get Rogers Satellite for free while everyone can sign up for $15 per month.
The communications company will also be launching satellite-to-mobile for IoT (Internet of Things) which will provide connectivity for applications including fleet and asset tracking along remote highways and rail corridors and powering automated sensors for sectors like forestry and mining.
Rogers is the parent company of CityNews
