Satellite Phone - To Buy or Rent

There are innumerable brands available of which the following are worthwhile: (1) Globalstar, (2) Iridium, (3) Inmarsat, (4) Thuraya, (5) Pelican, (6) RBGAN, and (7) NERA. The price of a satellite phone handset ranges from $275 to $9500 depending upon the type of services provided. A voice and slow access data phone handset will attract the minimum price whereas a high quality voice together with a real fast data transfer will cost much more, may be from $5500 to $9500. Data cables, SIM Cards etc., cost you more. The rates are on the basis of (1) rate of incoming calls and, (2) rate of outgoing calls per minute. Most companies do not charge, or, charge very little connection charges. In addition they also slap on you a service charge every time you renew.

In case you want to rent, may be you are called to pay $45 to $ 475 per week towards rental; depending primarily on the type of handset you want. Whether you use it or not, you may have to pay an average daily minimum usage of 3 minutes, and in some cases, even more. Some satellite phone companies require you to pay weekly insurance, which, in all probability, will cost you between $25 to $45 per week!

Iridium does not charge you any connection charges. However, they charge $.21 towards monthly subscription. Suppose you talk from your Iridium handset to another Iridium handset within the United States, you may have to shell out $.50 per minute. In the event of the call being an international one, you may have to pay $1.50 per minute. In all other cases where you talk from your Iridium handset to various other satellite phone systems, the charges are an exorbitant $8.50 per minute.

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The Legacy Of The Satellite Phone

Satellite phones today are of great use if you are already getting rid of your obsolete telephones at home or your miserable cellular phones due to signal failures.

It was in the early 1960 to 1990’s that the satellite phone was introduced to the market. But before its arrival let us first trace its origin by glancing at its brief history.

The pioneering satellite phone that offer the first ever planetary coverage is known as the Iridium Satellite Phone, which until now still exists. The name Iridium was derived from the chemical element in your periodic table, Iridium with an atomic number of 77. In the beginning it consists of 72 active constellations but at present it has only 66 active satellites.

Unlike other satellite phones, Iridium is the only constellation that allows the planetary coverage. This is because of its inter-satellite links that the other satellite phones do not possess. But this is not global because there are some countries that do not have the network yet.

The original design of the Iridium came out as early as 1960’s with control and time-triggered messages over its orbit and it will be uploaded each time the satellites pass through the pole. But it was found out that this design did not offer the sufficient bandwidth so it was turn down in the market.

Since it is considered to be the pioneer of the satellite phones, it paves the way of other companies to discover new models of mobile phones. There starts the development of the Motorola.

It was on November 1, 1998 that the Iridium Communications service was launched and due to insufficient demand for the service and poor management, a tremendous bankruptcy took place on August 13, 1999. The worse thing that happened was, since there was the bankruptcy that is why whether big or small investors nobody receive a return of their investment. It was a gamble of money.

Numerous unqualified inquires came in for the purchase of Iridium until 2001 when a group of private investors founded Iridium Satellite LLC and re-established service. Due to necessary effort that was made by the Iridium companies, gradually it recovered from its collapse.

From that point, there are other several satellite telephone communications that came into market. One is the Globalstar, but it is of a lower earth orbit satellite constellation because it only consists of 48 satellites. As compared to Iridium, it has no inter-satellite that is why it has no capacity to have the entire planetary coverage.

The first satellite of the Globalstar was launched in February 1998. It repeated the same failures like of the Iridium which also cause to its bankruptcy. But in order to regain the trust of their investors they also make several moves to settle the matter. And it was in the year 2001 when they even had a meeting with their creditors.

Aside from the Iridium and the Globalstar, other satellite telephone communications companies are also starting to make a name in the market. They all have the credibility that must be presented to the investors so that they will not be repeating the failures that have committed by the pioneering constellations.

The history of the Satellite phone is boosting towards the development of the technological innovations in the world. Who knows, places that are excluded from the network will be placed in the list few years from now?

Nicola Kennedy publishes articles and reports and provides news, views and information about communications and Satellite Telephones at Satellite Telephones Information.

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Companies that Offer Satellite Phones

In a world where there is no worthwhile landline connectivity or cellular services available in nearly 80% of the land mass, leave alone the oceans, the seas, the mountains, the forests and the deserts; you need a really efficient telephone service that works anywhere and everywhere! The answer is satellite phone! You can reach any area on earth with relative ease. Well, who are the people who offer such a breathtaking technology? Let us see:

(1)Iridium Satellite:

Voice and data solutions are offered by Iridium satellite practically to every nook and cranny of earth, inclusive of oceans, mountains, forests, deserts etc! They are, in essence, the only voice and data solutions provider of global magnitude. They have sixty-six Low Earth Orbiting (LEO) Satellites, cross-linked, covering the entire earth. They have services specifically for heavy industries and government customers. They also have a special data services with a 2.4 kbps throughput and direct Internet data services with a 10 kbps throughput. Their handset is very compact weighing less than 21bs, which enables easy mobility.

(2)Thuraya Satellite Phone:

Good handset, can reach remote areas. They, however, are concentrating more in the Middle East Region. Handset is compact. It is a Satellite – Cell Phone! Europe, Africa Middle East is covered.

(3)Inmarsat Mini M Satellite Phone:

It is designed as a laptop and therefore a bit bulky though it is sturdy. The drawback is that you cannot use it from a speeding vehicle; or, for that matter cannot access from Artic or Antarctic regions.

(4)Globalstar:

They have about 48 satellites orbiting the earth. Wide coverage, therefore, possible. They are the ones who offer the most cost effective services, which, of course, is possible because most of the time they access their cellular network. Satellite is used only when it has lost a signal. The coverage is not substantial.

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Handheld Satellite Phones

Handheld satellite phones are handheld communications equipment. They are more convenient than other satellite phones, because they work even while the person is on the move. With handheld satellite phones, the user need not remain stationary and check for the satellite signal.

There are a lot of brands available in the market such as Motorola, Qualcomm, Thrane & Thrane, and Nera, which provide good quality handheld satellite phone systems. Handheld satellite phones are easy to use like mobile phones and have a lot of useful features.

For instance, Motorola 9505 weighs 14 ounces and measures 6.25 x 2.5 x 2.4 inches. These phones have features like call waiting, voice mails, and memory storage.

There are phones that can also be used as normal cell phones. These phones switch from satellite networks to cellular networks according to the network coverage available.

There is a wide range of satellite products to choose from. Global service providers Iridium, and Globalstar offer portable satellite phones at very affordable prices. These phones are getting better and better every year. They have become smaller, lighter, and cheaper than their previous models and are incorporated with additional features. The handheld phones are more wear-resistant and hence are suitable for rugged outdoor conditions. You need not always purchase a handset when you need one, as there are handheld satellite phones available for rental on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis.

Satellite phones have various features like illuminated graphic display, alpha and numeric memory storage, call barring and forwarding options, signal strength meter, and many more. Hand held satellite phones provide upto 30 hours of standby time and around 3.2 hours of talk time. Handheld phones also have accessories such as headsets that make it hands-free. This feature is most convenient for people who are constantly on the move, and those who are wide users of satellite handheld phones.

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