SATELLITE PHONES ON THE RISE As the world shrinks & remote working means quite literally that remote satellite phones are no longer blue chip executive play things. A satellite phone is a mobile phone that is designed to permit voice & data transmission via satellite. Unlike GSM cell phones there is no problem of ‘no coverage area’ or ‘no signal’, since satellite phones provide global coverage. Its applications are seen in * Rock climbing & mountaineering * Independent travel in exotic or off the beaten track locations. * Adventure holidaying * Off shore sailing

* Mobile or remote working * Marine shipping communication * Aircraft communication * Military/defense * Oil/gas * Mining * Forestry * Emergency services The major satellite phone manufacturers are Iridium, Inmarsat, Thuraya, Globalstar. The service providers for these are World Communication Center (WCC), Satellite Systems Distribution (SSD). Satellite phones provide coverage inside closed buildings, mines, overseas, on top of mountains irrespective of location.

OVERVIEW OF A PHONE CALL 1. A caller uses a globalstar mode on to place a call via the satellite to one or more gateways. 2. Gateway routes the call to the existing phone network, in the case indicated, a Public Land Mobile Network(PLMN). 3. PLMN routes the call to the intended reciever. The call is completed 4. The call duration, service used and service area are reported to the service provider for billing.

 The Globalstar system supports phones that are ANSI-41 based & GSM based over the common Global Air Interface (GAI)  When a subscriber with these modes roams to North America his/her phone will operate in Globalstar mode.  When the Gateway receives the signal from the satellite, it will be routed to GSM MSC for processing.

IRIDIUM SATELLITE PHONES Iridium phones are smaller & cheaper than Inmarsat & costs from $700US. Surprisingly sending of text messages to them is free of cost both to sender & recipient. Sending of s costs less than $1US. Unlike a GSM cell phone it offers communication solutions independent of location. Presently it is using 66 satellites to provide global coverage with 1,00,000 subscribers. Iridium uses a cross linking architecture in which a signal is passed between satellites untill it reaches gateways on earth which then routes call to intended recievers.

INMARSAT SATELLITE PHONES Inmarsat uses Telenor services in geosynchronous orbit 22,300 miles above the earth. It maintains Land Earth Stations in California, Norway & some places that send & receive, manage satellite signals world wide QUALCOMM GLOBALSTAR SATELLITE PHONES This is tri mode operated in which caller has a choice of making a call and there by providing flexibility to keep charges low & pays for globalstar only when he needs it. Choices are - A digital call - An analog call - A globalstar communication system call. The major advantages are * Compatibility with existing AMPS & CDMA. * superior digital voice quality

* Globalstar mode when you’re not within cell coverage & thus providing service anywhere in the world. It is used by 1,10,000 subscribers because of superiority in services like voice, SMS, position location, data transmission. Inspite of many advantages provided by satellite phones there is also a criticism that they are provided at higher costs. There is a solution for this. Several manufacturers and Mobell provides satellite phones on rental basis. It proves to be of immense help to those people who take overseas’ travels frequently and to others. A solar pannel is avaialable for charging satellite phone in remote areas. The Uni pack solar pannel is tough, light weight, shatter proof capable of charging satellite phones in 2-4 hrs.

Satellite System Distributions are specialist wholesalers & stockists & service providers for Iridium, Thuraya, Inmarsat, & Globalstar. Credit goes to SSD in providing route tracking for Thrane & Thrane fleet sailed by Ellen Macarthur who swept to victory in record time in trans atlantic solo race. World Communication Center is another provider of world wide solutions. Iridium satellite phones & accessories, Iridium data solutions global asset tracking & rental programmes along with a suite of broadband satellite Internet options. It offers a dedicated customer service to each incoming request It is because of wonderful property of position tracking the Iraqi government banned satellite phones. Iraqi television carried an official appeal to the population to hand over their satellite phones so it is easier to identify “infiltrating” transmissions. For disobeying this it made two reporters leave the country. It treats anyone using satellite phones as spy.

The wonderful property of satellite phones is that they can be tracked easily. Satellite phones are also be used for rescue purposes based on this. GPS uses 24 satellites for positioning on ground, sea, air at anytime, anywhere. So information regarding availability of mines or any other resources can be positioned & sent to satellite phones via satellites. Satellite phones also place a role in global business transaction where video conferencing is a must. Video Satellite phones provide this facility. Thus all these wonderful facilities & functions are provided by satellite phones anytime, anywhere globally without any coverage area problem.