I believe you're mistaken that "the Satellite feature is on for Public Mobile" and that those who reported affirmatively are also mistaken about Public Mobile's involvement. As I mentioned earlier, I tried posing this question to Public Mobile's chatbot: “Does Public Mobile support messaging via satellite? Apple indicates that ‘Apple satellite features are included for free for two years with the activation of an iPhone 14 or later.’”
The answer it served up stated this: "Public Mobile does not support satellite messaging features. While Apple offers satellite features on iPhone 14 and later models, these features require carrier support to function. Public Mobile’s network does not currently include satellite connectivity services. If you need satellite messaging capabilities, you would need to check with our friends at TELUS or Koodo for international roaming plans or alternative connectivity options."
I then posed this question to Grok AI: "With Apple iPhone models that support satellite messaging and are within the two year time frame that is included with the activation of a new phone, when there is no local cellular tower signal in a remote location is it possible to send messages via Satellite? Is Apple providing that capable as a free service within the two years since the new phone has been activated?"
The reply was this:
"Yes, iPhone models starting from the iPhone 14 (including all subsequent models like the iPhone 15 and iPhone 16 series) support sending messages via satellite in remote locations where there's no cellular or Wi-Fi signal. This is enabled through the "Messages via satellite" feature introduced in iOS 18, which allows you to send and receive iMessages, SMS texts, and even emoji reactions by connecting directly to Globalstar satellites. To use it, simply open the Messages app, and if no signal is available, your iPhone will prompt you to connect to a satellite —pointing the device toward the sky for a clear line of sight typically takes 20–60 seconds.
"Yes, Apple provides this capability as a free service for the first two years after activating a compatible new iPhone. This includes both Emergency SOS via satellite (for critical situations) and standard Messages via satellite. After the two-year period, Apple may introduce paid options, but for now, it's complimentary during that window with no additional carrier fees required. Note that availability is currently limited to certain countries and regions, such as the US, Canada, and parts of Europe—check your location in Settings > Emergency SOS & Satellite."
So as I understand it, Apple is currently providing free satellite messaging capability for two years from a phone's activation for situations when no cellular signal is available, I suppose as a sort of beta testing mode, and may in future offer some form of pay-for-service for messaging via Satellite.
