Members Articles

Now, you will find some misconceptions in terms of satellite cell phones and when you'll be able to use them. First of all not all satellite phone networks have international network. Really, there may be only one that has true pole-to-pole network, and that is Iridium.

Inmarsat has in next best using a world-wide network except that of polar regions. But, on the other hand, Inmarsat does not have a handheld sat phone that would function in its network! Inmarsat's only handheld cellphone in the moment works from the so-called SPS network, with has incredibly much limited network (parts of Africa, Asia and the Indian Ocean). The world-wide I4 network may be utilized via (quite expensive and big) BGAN terminals. Inmarsat has announced however that it is going to release a handheld phone (ISatePhone Pro) by mid 2010, that will work inside I4 world-wide network.

Then there's Globalstar, which covers most continents (but not oceans), but has issues of its own. It began having technical complications with its satellites, and is going to be capable to fix the issue by replacing the satellites not earlier than late 2010, and even mid 2011.

The 4th substantial player in the moment is Thuraya, which covers Europe, Asia, Australia and North Africa.

So, while satellite phones do offer a fantastic support permitting you to have connectivity in remote locations, you might discover yourself switching concerning mobile phones, when heading to distinct areas from the globe.

And finally, there's 1 additional critical point to bear in mind. Satellite mobile phones will not perform indoors. Well, a minimum of not with a special enabler and exterior antenna. And there's an identical issue with utilizing them in cars. The phone's antenna simply requirements clear access towards the sky to operate correctly.

World-wide? Yes. Everywhere? Well, not entirely, not yet.