Inmarsat’s First Handheld Satellite Phone
The Inmarsat’s name is not as recognized as the popular Iridium and Globalstar satellite phones. Inmarsat’s most popular product is the BGAN satellite terminals which are about the size of a notebook computer. With the portable BGAN units the lid serves as the antenna which must be stationary when you acquire the satellite. The BGAN offers excellent data and voice service, but they are not handheld for sure but that is all changing with the new Inmarsat IsatPhone. IsatPhone is one of the most compact, robust and lightweight satellite phones on the market. The price is very economical at only $595.00 which is less than half the price of an Iridium 9505A satellite phone. Along with Inmarsat satellite service the IsatPhone offers GSM service giving the user text capability. With the optional USB cable the IsatPhone will provide low speed data.
The 1st generation Inmarsat IsatPhone as of the writing of this article offers coverage in Africa and Asia.
The 2nd generation IsatPhone offering coverage in North America is expected to hit the U.S. market sometime in early 2009. The 2nd generation IsatPhone will operate on the entire Inmarsat I4 satellite constellation.
The LandPhone Inmarsat fixed site solution and FleetPhone Inmarsat’s maritime solution will be available after the 2nd generation IsatPhone is completely perfected and launched.
Who is Inmarsat anyway? Inmarsat has been around a lot longer than Iridium and Globalstar. Inmarsat has stood at the forefront of mobile satellite services for nearly 30 years. Inmarsat is a pioneer in the satellite communication field. In the future when you make a mobile phone call or send a text message from an aircraft mostly likely it will be transmitted using Inmarsat satellites and ground stations.
The lives and livelihoods of the maritime community have depended on the reliable Inmarsat satellite communication for over a quarter of a century. Inmarsat was founded in 1979 to ensure that ships could stay in constant communication by satellite phone. Inmarsat was the first intergovernmental organization to transform into a private company. In 2005 they were floated on the London Stock Exchange.
Spot Inc Announces Release of SPOT Satellite Messenger
Spot Inc. announced the release of the
SPOT Satellite Messenger on November 1, 1007. This unit is available and ready for purchase and activation. This is just in time for the holiday season. SPOT is primarily aimed for the outdoor enthusiast as a life saving device that has the capability to contact for help when the asked. This unit will work anywhere in its coverage area regardless of whether there is cell coverage. Users may also view their routes taken with the help of Google Maps™. There are so many stories of people getting stranded, lost, or worse needing emergency help in the wilderness. SPOT Satellite messenger helps these people have contact in these remote areas. These units are also great for preparedness for hurricane affected areas or on the west coast where the wildfires are rampant. SPOT has been feature in Popular Science, MacWorld, U.S. News and World Report, and the Washington Post. SPOT gives its owners peace of mind with four main features. These features are
Alert 911, Call for Help, Check In, and Track Progress. Spot Inc is happy to meet a critical safety need. SPOT works in a lot of the world including the continental United States, Canada, Mexico, Europe, Australia, and portions of South America, Northern Africa, and Northeastern Asia plus hundred of thousands of miles offshore to these areas. SPOT is now available for $149.99 with service beginning at $99.99 per year.
Globalstar Announces Successful Launch of Four Satellites
One of the foremost providers of mobile satellite data and voice services announced on October 22, 2007 that four
Globalstar satellites have been successfully launched from The Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. They are used the Soyuz Launch vehicle. These are four of eight satellites launched this year that are being used to supplement the current constellation and hopes to hold the current constellation in place until the second generation of satellites will be launched. There were approximately $120 million to send these eight satellites into orbit. Globalstar believes that they represent the start of their next-generation constellation that is proposed to be launched in 2009. They are hoping that these remaining satellites will bring the gap with the satellites today. The 48 new satellites due to launch in 2009 are projected to offer service at least until 2025. Globalstar has signed a contract with a European launch service company named Arianespace for the next generation launch of satellites using the Soyuz Launch vehicle once again. The Soyuz Launch vehicle has had 1726 successful launches to date. They are expected the second-generation to begin launch campaigns summer 2009.
