List of satellite phones

There are several commercial satellite phone systems operating in 2004.

[edit] 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.

MSat provides telephone, low-speed data, and voice dispatch service to North America, Central America, and the Caribbean. The bulky equipment is similar to that used by Inmarsat. MSat users are assigned a number in the North American Numbering Plan.

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. Previous models are the Hughes HNS 7100, HNS 7101 and the ASCOM. Current models are the SO 2510, the SG 2520 and are currently the smallest satellite phones on the market (150 gr.) with GPRS capabilities. Thuraya also offers internet services with its ThurayaDSL (1.2 kg or 2.5 pounds) at speeds up to 144kbps all over its footprint.

ACeS (Asia Cellular Satellite) has coverage around Asia, it covers three of the major countries in Asia,China, India, and Indonesia, along with other countries (Pakistan, Japan, Malaysia, etc) around these three countries. The handsets used for ACeS' services can be use in ACeS network or any avaviable local GSM network that participated with ACES.

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.

University of Surrey pages with information on some satellite systems, including currently planned, and defunct proposals such as Teledesic. (non-commercial)
Nasa's Teledesic quicklook