Prepare for power cuts, severe weather, flooding, natural disasters and wider infrastructure disruption with a reliable communications backup that doesn't depend solely on conventional mobile networks.
Explore emergency communication ↓A power cut or major emergency can affect more than the lights. Home broadband may disappear, phones eventually need charging, and mobile service can become unreliable if local infrastructure is affected.
Emergency preparedness is about having alternatives. Alongside food, water, lighting, power and access to reliable information, satellite communication can provide another way to make contact when terrestrial networks are unavailable or disrupted.
Satellite communication does not depend on the same local mobile infrastructure as your everyday phone.
Maintain another way to call, message or send updates to family and contacts during wider disruption.
Think about battery life, spare batteries and portable charging before an emergency happens.
From direct satellite calls to detailed two-way messaging and simple button-operated SOS devices, these options provide different levels of communications backup for homes, vehicles and emergency preparedness kits.
A straightforward satellite handset for making voice calls and sending SMS messages when conventional mobile networks are unavailable or unreliable.
Best for: homes, vehicles and emergency kits where the ability to make a direct satellite voice call is the priority.
Two-way satellite messaging, location sharing and interactive SOS over the Iridium network. When paired with the Garmin Messenger app, it can also exchange photo and voice messages via satellite.
Best for: emergency plans where detailed two-way communication, location sharing and the ability to provide additional information during an emergency are important.
A simple satellite safety device with dedicated controls for SOS, Help, Check-In, predefined messages and GPS tracking without needing to operate the core functions through a smartphone.
Best for: a straightforward communications backup with physical controls and replaceable batteries rather than relying solely on internal charging.
A useful emergency kit is about more than one piece of technology. Prepare for limited lighting, power, information, food, water and communications before severe weather or a wider outage happens.
Keep a battery or wind-up torch, battery or wind-up radio and spare batteries somewhere easy to find if the lights go out.
Keep portable power banks charged and consider spare batteries or another power source for the devices you would rely on during an outage.
Keep bottled water, non-perishable food that does not require cooking, essential medication and a basic first-aid kit available.
Think beyond your normal Wi-Fi and mobile phone. A satellite device can provide an additional route for communication when terrestrial networks are unavailable.
Whether you are preparing your home for severe weather and power cuts or putting together a more comprehensive disaster response kit, we can help you choose a satellite communication option suited to the way you expect to use it.
Emergency communications are most useful when the device, power, service plan and people using it are all prepared before an outage occurs.
They can. Mobile networks have resilience measures, but a widespread or prolonged power outage can affect local communications infrastructure. Home broadband will also normally stop working without power to your router and network equipment.
A satellite phone can provide an additional way to make calls and exchange messages when conventional mobile networks are unavailable. It should be activated, charged and tested in advance, and the user should understand how and where to operate it for a reliable satellite connection.
Your plan could include a charged mobile phone, portable power bank, battery or wind-up radio and spare batteries. If maintaining communication beyond local networks is particularly important, a suitable satellite phone or communicator can provide an additional communications option.
A satellite phone such as the Iridium 9555 is designed primarily for direct voice calling and SMS. A device such as the Garmin inReach Messenger Plus focuses on two-way satellite messaging, location sharing and interactive SOS, with photo and voice-message functionality available when paired with the Garmin Messenger app.
Rechargeable equipment is useful when power is available, but a device that accepts replaceable batteries gives you another option during an extended outage. SPOT Gen4 uses replaceable AAA batteries, allowing compatible spares to be stored with the device.
Yes. Do not wait for an emergency to learn how a device works. Keep it charged or stocked with the correct batteries, maintain any required service plan, store instructions with your emergency kit and make sure anyone who may need it knows the basics of operating it.