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Top Satellite Phone
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Rex
Strong
Telecommunications Editor
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How
Do Satellite Phones Work?
Global connectivity has made practically every
spot on the Earth accessible. Whether one is on the top
of Mt. Everest or in the vast icy landscape of Antartica,
civilization is just a phone call away.
Most of the world is connected to each other with fixed
land telephones and cellular phones.
However, sometimes cell phones are just not enough.
In times of distress and disaster management like during
Hurricanes Katrina and Rita or on adventure holidays,
satellite phones can save hundreds of lives and help
rescue operations.
Any damage to local telephone structures can result
in suspension of telephone services. However, satellite
phones continue to work under such conditions. The reason
that satellite phones are still working in situations
where other phones don’t is that satellite phones
rely on satellites in space for their functioning. Satellite
phones do not use local infrastructure to route the calls.
When an individual makes a call from a satellite phone
the signal is sent to the satellites of that particular
company. These satellites process the call and relay
it back to Earth via a gateway. The gateway then routes
the call to its destination using the regular landline
and cellular networks. The Globalstar constellation is
made up of 48 satellites and every call is relayed by
up to 4 satellites down to Globalstar gateways on Earth.
Clifton, Texas is home to one of the major Globalstar
gateway that services the US.
If an individual uses
a satellite phone to call another satellite phone then
the call is sent up to the satellite
from the caller’s phone. The satellite then routes
the call back down to the receiver’s phone without
using any land infrastructure. Thus, satellite phones
on the same network can be used to call each other without
using any landline or cellular phone infrastructures.
One important thing to keep in mind with satellite phones
is that the phone or the phone’s antenna must be
located in the open to allow it to have an unobstructed
view of the sky. Satellite phones require a clear line-of-sight
view of the satellite to be able to send and receive
signals from the satellite. While Iridium phones use
a non-directional antenna, which means that the antenna
need not point in any particular direction, Inmarsat
uses geostationary satellites. In this case, the phone’s
antenna must point directly at the satellite with a clear,
unobstructed view to get transmission.
What Are Hand Held Satellite Phones?
Hand held satellite phones provide the same convenience
as cellular phone with one major difference. While cellular
phones provide interrupted service if you are out of
the networked area, satellite phones cover a much larger
network area and provide you with a personal, portable
communication device with uninterrupted service.
Hand held satellite phones are optimum for adventure
travelers, rescue operations and in times of disaster
management.
What Are Fixed Site Satellite Phones?
Fixed site satellite phones are like regular landlines
except they use satellites instead of local infrastructure
to route calls. The big advantage they have over hand
held satellite phones is that they can work from inside
buildings and homes. The antenna is placed on the roof
or any other spot that allows the antenna to have a clear
line-of-sight view of the satellite.
Thus, in a world where effective communication is the
key to success, satellite phones ensure you never have
to be out of touch.
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