Satellite Phones

Whether you're posting a breaking news story from the mountains of Afghanistan or just staying in touch with the office during a Caribbean cruise, satellite phones can be the only choice when you absolutely, positively need a phone in the far reaches of the world. Satellite Phones can be expensive, though Iridium's $1.50/minute USD charge is sometimes equaled or surpassed by international mobile roaming rates for some GSM carriers. However, only recently have they achieved acceptable speeds for data transmission. Since there needs to be a clear line of sight between the antenna and satellite, performance can also be affected by poor weather and use is generally restricted to outdoors (though they will sometimes work through glass or canvas). This can also limit the ability to receive incoming calls, though external antenna connections can help overcome some of these limitations. Also, satellite phones like the Hughes 7100 (shown at right) allow users of the Thuraya system (serving Europe, North & Central Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia and the Indian Subcontinent) to also access local GSM networks in those areas. Other phones offer compatibility with existing AMPS and CDMA networks to help alleviate some of the drawbacks while allowing users to stay connected well beyond the reach of lowly terrestrial networks. Satellite phone systems are expensive to build and far less competitive than conventional mobile systems, so there are only a few providers to choose from like Iridium, Globalstar, ICO Global, Ellipso, Inmarsat and the previously mentioned Thuraya. Great strides have been made in making these phones increasingly portable, though many of them need an oversized antenna for satellite use.