First generation late 1990s Iridium satellite phoneGlobalstar GSP-1600 satellite phoneSatellite phone (Inmarsat) in use in Nias, Indonesia, in April 2005 after the Nias–Simeulue earthquake
A satellite telephone, satellite phone or satphone is a type of mobile phone that connects to other phones or the telephone network by radio link through satellites orbiting the Earth instead of terrestrial cell sites, as cellphones do. Therefore, they can work in most geographic locations on the Earth's surface, as long as open sky and the line-of-sight between the phone and the satellite are provided. Depending on the architecture of a particular system, coverage may include the entire Earth or only specific regions. Satellite phones provide similar functionality to terrestrial mobile telephones; voice calling, text messaging, and low-bandwidth Internet access are supported through most systems. The advantage of a satellite phone is that it can be used in such regions where local terrestrial communication infrastructures, such as landline and cellular networks, are not available.
Satellite phones are popular on expeditions into remote locations where there is no reliable cellular service, such as recreational hiking, hunting, fishing, and boating trips, as well as for business purposes, such as mining locations and maritime shipping.[1] Satellite phones rarely get disrupted by natural disasters on Earth or human actions such as war, so they have proven to be dependable communication tools in emergency and humanitarian situations, when the local communications system have been compromised.[2]
The mobile equipment, also known as a terminal, varies widely. Early satellite phone handsets had a size and weight comparable to that of a late-1980s or early-1990s mobile phone, but usually with a large retractable antenna. More recent satellite phones are similar in size to a regular mobile phone while some prototype satellite phones have no distinguishable difference from an ordinary smartphone.[3][4]
A fixed installation, such as one used aboard a ship, may include large, rugged, rack-mounted electronics, and a steerable microwave antenna on the mast that automatically tracks the overhead satellites. Smaller installations using VoIP over a two-way satellite broadband service such as BGAN or VSAT bring the costs within the reach of leisure vessel owners. Internet service satellite phones have notoriously poor reception indoors, though it may be possible to get a consistent signal near a window or in the top floor of a building if the roof is sufficiently thin. The phones have connectors for external antennas that can be installed in vehicles and buildings. The systems also allow for the use of repeaters, much like terrestrial mobile phone systems.
In the early 2020s, various manufacturers began to integrate satellite messaging connectivity and satellite emergency services into conventional mobile phones for use in remote regions, where there is no reliable terrestrial network.
^"Satellite phone: know the 5 sectors that use them the most". axessnet. August 28, 2018. Retrieved January 13, 2023.
^"Everything That You Need to Know About a Satellite Phone". Satellite Phone Review. Retrieved January 12, 2023.
^"New Satellite Phone Runs Windows Mobile". Gearlog. Archived from the original on January 1, 2010.
^"CTIA 2008: MSV Makes "Lost" Satellite Phone Real". Gearlog. Archived from the original on January 3, 2010.
A satellite telephone, satellitephone or satphone is a type of mobile phone that connects to other phones or the telephone network by radio link through...
services. A satellitephone is a type of mobile phone that connects to other phones or the telephone network by radio link through satellites orbiting the...
Retrieved 2023-01-13. "Everything That You Need to Know About a SatellitePhone". SatellitePhone Review. Archived from the original on 2023-01-12. Retrieved...
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