Enter Iridium and Globalstar

In 1998, Iridium launched the world’s first LEO satellite phone service using 66 satellites at a cost of $5 billion. Iridium was followed a year later by a $3.8 billion system of 48 LEO satellites launched by Globalstar. After failing to get the number of subscribers they needed to support their enterprises, both companies filed for bankruptcy. Iridium emerged from bankruptcy in 2001 after a small group of investors paid just $25 million to purchase all the company’s assets. Globalstar is still in bankruptcy, but its investors recently accepted a $55 million offer to purchase the majority of the company’s assets.

The good news for consumers is that both systems still work fine, and now that their operating companies are no longer burdened with significant debt, they’ve slashed prices dramatically. Iridium and Globalstar currently offer the most portable and affordable satellite phones on the market for users in the Western Hemisphere. I tested demonstration phones from both companies over a two-week period while I was kayaking along some remote coastlines in the Pacific Northwest with spotty or nonexistent cell phone coverage.

Coverage Areas

Iridium phones have truly global coverage. They work everywhere from the North Pole to the middle of the Pacific Ocean. They accomplish this feat using intersatellite links. If the satellite a user is communicating with is not in range of a gateway, that satellite will pass the signal on to successive satellites until it reaches a satellite that can downlink to a gateway.

Globalstar doesn’t use intersatellite links. For a call to connect, the user must be within about 900 miles of a gateway. Fortunately, Globalstar gateways are located throughout the world, and Globalstar phones currently work in more than 100 different countries. Globalstar hasn’t established gateways to provide service in the far north or far south (beyond 68° north or south latitude), Southeast Asia, much of Africa or in the middle of the oceans.

Unlike cell phones, satellite phones need a clear view of the sky. They won’t work inside buildings. Large obstructions, such as mountains or buildings, can degrade call quality or even result in dropped calls.

Handsets

Iridium and Globalstar phones are similar in size to handheld VHF radios or large cordless phones. The primary feature distinguishing these satellite phones from cell phones is their large antennas. The antennas fold onto the back of each handset and must be rotated and extended before use.

These phones can handle a bit of rain, but they’re definitely not submersible, so I don’t recommend using them on the water unless it’s an absolute emergency. They are expensive devices, so I suggest storing them in a rigid watertight dry case. If you rent, the dealer may include a custom dry case for an additional fee.

Iridium offers the 9505 phone, manufactured by Motorola. Older models, such as the Motorola 9500, are no longer manufactured but may still be available from dealers for rental or sale. The 9505 weighs 14 ounces and has all the features you’d expect a cell phone to have, such as call waiting, voice mail and memory to store phone numbers. With the antenna stowed, the 9505 measures 6.25 x 2.5 x 2.4 inches. The Motorola 9500 is slightly larger, weighing 16 ounces and measuring 7.5 x 2.5 x 2.6 inches.

Globalstar offers the GSP-1600 phone, manufactured by Qualcomm. It weighs 13 ounces and also has all the features you’d expect a cell phone to have. With the antenna stowed, the GSP-1600 measures 7 x 2.2 x 1.9 inches.

The GSP-1600 works as a digital Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) cellular or 800MHz analog cellular phone. This gives you the option of using it as a regular cell phone and switching to the satellite network by raising the satellite antenna only when cell phone coverage is not available. Using the GSP-1600 as a cell phone requires a service agreement with a cellular company and a separate phone number and bill. If you rent, using the GSP-1600 as a regular cell phone probably won’t be an option. Iridium no longer enables its phones to be used as regular cell phones.