Stranded with no reception? Your iPhone can now connect you to roadside assistance for help.
Breaking down on a lonely stretch of road with no mobile signal is every driver’s nightmare. But thanks to Apple’s Roadside Assistance via satellite feature, help will now be within reach - even in some of the Northern Territory’s most remote locations.
From Monday 15th September, AANT members with an iPhone 14 or later will be able to connect to roadside assistance via satellite, giving them peace of mind when they’re travelling beyond mobile or Wi-Fi coverage.
Here’s how it works: if you have car trouble, but don’t have reception, your iPhone will guide you through a short questionnaire about your situation. You will then be guided to connect to a satellite to transmit this important information to AANT, where an agent will message you directly and dispatch help to your exact location.
The new feature builds on Emergency SOS via satellite, which Apple launched in Australia in 2023, and allows iPhone users to reach emergency services when out of range.
Roadside Assistance via satellite will be available to all iPhone 14 and later in Australia, whether or not you are an AANT member. Members will be verified as usual, while non-members can still request support on a pay-per-use basis.
Good to know:
- Available from Monday 15th September across Australia. Roadside Assistance via satellite is included for free for two years starting at the time of activation of a new iPhone 14 or later with iOS 18.4 or later
- Only applies to vehicles on or near public roads (not off-road recovery)
- Non-members can still access service for a fee
- Apple’s satellite features were designed for use in open spaces with a clear line of sight to the sky. Performance may be impacted by obstructions such as trees or surrounding buildings
With so much of the NT covered by rural and regional roads, this new capability is set to give you and your families extra confidence every time you travel.
