Over 1,200 minutes of airtime were accumulated on both Globalstar satellite telephones and the Iridium satellite phone systems in more than 200 calls in total. A testing methodology was used to ensure that any deviations measured would be due to the satellite phone system. All phone calls were placed to land lines within the United States. No information gathered from these calls were originated or placed to cellular networks or overseas. All calls were made from two geographically different locations, Texas and California.
The primary measures taken for all voice calls were as follow:
There were two distinct stages of testing voice all capabilities of the systems. First, both Iridium and Globalstar satellite phones were tested side-by-side under ideal conditions. This setting would imply a completely clear sky, free of any obstructions, and 10 degrees above the horizon. To eliminate signal interference, testing was conducted far from airports, industrial zones and any other such activities.
In most aspects and under ideal conditions, results of the tests showed the satellite telephones performed relatively similar. Both experienced almost no service outage and a first call completion rate of 97% for Iridium and 100% for Globalstar satellite phone was recorded. A measure of the frequency a call was successfully made on the first attempt to dial a phone number is first attempt completion. The goal of all calls was to maintain the connection for at least 5 minutes and to extend roughly one third of the calls to 12 minutes in duration. To confirm that call hand-offs from one satellite to another occurred as the satellites traveled across the sky, the call length had to maintain a longer period of time.
“This information was referenced from an evaluation made by Satellite Communications Group of Frost and Sullivan”
