There are several commercial satellite phone systems operating in 2004.
Global providers
- Inmarsat is a long-respected "industrial-grade" provider, with voice and fax equipment installed in most sea-going vessels and many aircraft. They also provide ISDN services, famously used for news reporters' videophones during the 2003 Invasion of Iraq.
- Globalstar and Iridium are recent entries to the market, having undergone financial restructuring since the dot-com collapse of the late 20th century. Most users access these systems using handheld phones for voice and low-speed data.
Regional providers
- Thuraya has a coverage area focusing on Europe, northern and central Africa, and from the Middle East to Asia. Handsets used for the service are also compatible with GSM networks, and contain GPS receivers.
- Teledesic was a proposed system supported by a partnership of many large players in the industry including Microsoft, Motorola, Nextel, Boeing, Matra Marconi Space and McCaw Cellular Communications. Motorola is the primary contractor. There were to be 288 satellites at an altitude of less than 800 miles and a data access of 64 megabits per second. It is particularly significant in its huge potential for broadband internet. As of November 2004 Teledesic has not gathered the required funding for satellite launches to begin.
Special services
See also
External link
