How a Satellite Phone Works When Other Phones Stopped Working

After 9/11 we realize how a few terrorist can turn our world upside down and leave us with the feeling of how vulnerable we can be. When the twin towers were hit the landline and cellular systems in New York where overloaded or disrupted. People in New York had a difficult time calling out to family and friends to let them know they where OK. People calling into New York had problems getting through because most of the circuits where busy. After this terrible act of terrorism numerous government agencies realize it was necessary to have emergency back up communications in the form of satellite phones which do not rely on local phone systems. A number of Federal Agencies soon started purchasing satellite phones for emergency communication backup. These agencies purchased both Fixed Site Satellite Phones for their buildings and hand held Globalstar satellite phones for key individuals in the field. These satellite phones allowed them to have voice and data communications in the event the local landline and cellular systems are disrupted. A satellite phone may be your only form of communication when the telephone infrastructure either cannot handle the volume of calls or is damaged.

When the telephone infrastructure is damaged as with the case of the numerous hurricanes that hit Florida in 2004 satellite phones filled the communication void left after the storms hit. Cellular and landline systems were damaged for weeks after each hurricane hit which delayed clean up and repair efforts. Government agencies, insurance adjusters, and business all benefited from the purchase or rental satellite phones from GlobalCom. The satellite phone allowed simple to use voice and data communication in a hand held device when all other forms of communication would be disrupted for weeks. During this period GlobalCom was one of the largest providers of satellite phones to the state of Florida.

The reason satellite phones from GlobalCom work when all other phones have stopped working is that a satellite phone does not rely on the local telephone infrastructure to function. When you use the Globalstar phone the call goes up to the Globalstar constellation made up of forty-eight satellites and is relayed by up to four satellites back down a Globalstar gateway. The gateway sends the call to its call destination by landline and cellular networks. One of the main Globalstar gateways that serve the United States is located in Clifton, Texas.

Some may question well what if I am in an area where there is no communication and I need to contact someone locally? In that case the person you need to contact locally would need a satellite phone. The way it would work with our phone the call goes up from the satellite phone hand set up to the Globalstar satellite phone constellation then down to one of the Globalstar ground stations it then is sent back up to the constellation and then the inbound call goes back down to the other phone receiving the call. When calling from phone to phone using the same gateway Globalstar does not utilize landline or cellular systems the call is handled all through the Globalstar ground station.

In event of an emergency a satellite phone is a valuable asset and could mean the difference between life and death where communication is critical.

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