More about Satellite Phones

Land-line phones have many limitations. You need to attach it to a line installation, you can’t take it with you when you leave your house. This is the reason why we all embraced the introduction of mobile phones. They allow a wide range of mobile use in many parts of the world.
Most people think that cell phone coverage is pretty good in most areas of the world but certain portions of the Earth remain to be inaccessible by cell phone transmitting stations. Good thing there are satellite phones that can provide absolute worldwide coverage.

A satellite phone is very much the same as the mobile phone. The difference is that instead of cell land stations, satellite phones are linked to a satellite that is orbiting in space. The coverage provided by a satellite phone depends on the server network to which it is connected. Some networks have global coverage while others revolve around a specific region only.

Iridium network has a constellation of 66 satellites. It has a more expansive coverage than any other satellite network. Iridium satellite started operation in 1998.

There is also the Inmarsat Satellite Phone Service that commenced operation in 1979. It has an excellent coverage of the entire planet however with exceptions of the North and South Pole areas.

The Thuraya Satellite Phone Service is the baby of all phone satellite systems in the sense that it was established only in 2001. It has limited coverage mostly of Europe, Africa, Middle East and Asia.

Satellite phone models are very similar to cell phones. The first of its kind models were bigger and heavier but in time they evolved to be as handy as your latest cell phone model. Nowadays there are satellite phones being sold at very affordable prices.