Apple invested $450 million through its Advanced Manufacturing Fund to provision an emergency text service on iPhone 14 models, highlighting the high cost of satellite-based communications.

The service is free for the first two months and enables users in North America to send text messages to emergency services when there are clear skies and the phone is pointed in the direction of a satellite.

Satellite service provider Globalstar received the lion’s share of Apple’s investment, using the fund to bolster its birds and ground stations.

Globalstar executive chairman Jay Monroe stated Apple’s investment enabled the company to hire additional employees to construct, expand and upgrade ground stations.

The satellite operator also used Apple’s funds to install custom-designed antennas made by Cobham Satcom in ground stations in a host of US states along with Puerto Rico.

Apple is working to deploy the function by the end of the month.