Satellite Phone Service

Satellite phone or sat phone is like a mobile phone that can be carried to any part of the world but the only difference is that the mobile phone connects with the nearest base and a sat phone connects with the nearest satellite. A sat phone can work in the remotest of areas and can work in any situation, be it a flood or earthquake. It communicates with the low earth orbit satellites that give fast and better coverage. The scheme of a particular system would determine the coverage of the phone whether it will be region specific or cover the whole of Earth. A satellite phone differs from a mobile since it is bigger and looks like an old model of a cellular phone and it also comes with a retractable antenna which has to be pulled out to form a contact with the satellite.

Satellite phone has provide to be a great, means of communication for explorers, adventurers, reporters, archaeologists, sailors, soldiers and the like since now they can keep in touch no matter where they are. The only requirement is open sky so that the device can contact the nearest satellite. A used satellite phone would cost you about $200 and the new ones with all the facilities can cost you up to $1000.The most expensive sat phones are BGAN terminal which can shoot up to a few thousand dollars but you might save some money if you go for a post paid deal. The calling rates are quite high, if you call a sat phone from the landline or a mobile phone, it can cost approximately $13 to $14 per minute with the Iridium or Inmarsat phones. A call between two satellite phone networks also costs a bomb with the call charges being $15 per minute. An outgoing call from a sat phone to a landline would cost somewhere around $0.80 to $1.50 per minute, which is quite reasonable. Thuraya, Iridium, Inmarsat and Globalstar are the four providers of Satellite phone service.

Satellite Phone Service

Satellite phone service uses radio waves with a lesser bandwidth and the minimum of satellite time than a cellular phone, which is a reason for the poor quality sound and lesser facilities than a regular mobile phone. Satellite phones are the worst option when you are indoors unless you are on the top floor and the roof is thin enough for the device to establish a stable contact with the satellite. There are various types of satellite phone services which depends whether the service provider uses the Geosynchronous satellites or Low Earth Orbit satellites.

Geosynchronous satellite service

Geosynchronous satellites are at a height of 22.300 miles above the surface of the earth and can maintain a global coverage with the help of only as few as three to four satellites. Geosynchronous satellites rotate freely at the same as of earth so to us it appears to be fixed at the same point. These satellites are situated directly above the equator and therefore their antennas are directional so that satellite time can be saved.

There are disadvantages of a geosynchronous satellite phone like there are delays when making the phone call they are approximately 22,000 miles away from the earth surface and even if there is a lot of open sky, the line of sight between the satellite and the phone should not be broken otherwise the user would have to find higher ground so people using it in forests would face difficulties.

Low Earth Orbit satellite service

Low earth Orbit satellites are in the lower orbits thus making it easier for the device to establish a contact and therefore they provide world wide coverage without gaps. Unlike Geosynchronous satellites they don’t appear static. These satellites are around 11,000 miles away from the earth surface and have an orbital time of about 70 to 90 minutes. LEO satellites circle the poles and they fly over the entire world. From the User point of view LEO satellite service is better than Geosynchronous Satellite Service.

Satellite services can be used to send data as well as voice but then the transfer of data is really slow and cost per minute is extremely high. You can use your phone to access Internet but then with that amount you can actually buy yourself a luxurious trip to Las Vegas!!!!!!