Have a read no mobile will go to satellite if no coverage
http://www.acma.gov.au/theACMA/calling-the-emergency-call-service-from-a-mobile-phone--faqs
Turtle
Good find Turtle.....this issue has caused SO much confusion over many years and caught many people out....the only phone that talks through low orbit Satellites are dedicated Sat phones and NOT conventional mobile phones.
A GPS satellite is a different animal to a satellite phone satellite, the GPS satellite sends information to your GPS receiver only (although the Yanks can send data to them to build in miss information when required for military requirements). A Sat phone Satellite like Iridium are transmit & receive that then patches into land based mobile phone network.
We use a Motorola 9500 when we were remote area camping, and a current 9505A at work.
If you are spending considerable time away from the land based mobile network there were Federal Government subsidies available to assist in Satellite phone purchase.
The Emergency + app will still
revile reveal your GPS position by Long/Lat when out side ANY land based mobile network if used on a AGPS devise (so NOT a WiFi only iPad). The mobile will only communicate via voice/data if it has coverage with YOUR service provider or via "000" & 112 only with another land based mobile service provider.
Sorry to seam like I'm pushing this info but I have seen the result of the spread of this mis-information.
Cheers