Satellite Phone Decisions and Questions
Oct 18, 2021, 7:23 pm
#16
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 38,410
I don't have direct experience with their voice coverage, but I do use a satellite messenger (SPOT X) on Globalstar and have the Garmin inReach on Iridium. The Globalstar network is more limited. It's worked fine for when and where I have needed it (including the western Caribbean), but look at the coverage maps for Globalstar before you decide, and note the SPOT coverage differs dramatically from the voice coverage on Globalstar, particularly in Africa and Asia: https://www.globalstar.com/en-us/coverage-maps. Also, it appears much of the Caribbean is covered, but not all.
Oct 18, 2021, 7:26 pm
#17
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 38,410
Initially, I thought that the device was only capable of 1-way texting, but in further reading, it appears that one can reply to messages received. I guess that one can send initial messages to whomever one wants to be able to communicate with (starting a thread that will allow a continuous stream). Seems like a winner.
Check out their mapshare portal. You can configure it with or without a password and you can configure whether someone can use the portal to send you a message. (Unfortunately, you seem to be limited to having one setup--you can't make a trusted one with sending capability and a casual one without.)
Jul 13, 2022, 12:19 pm
#18
Join Date: May 2005
Programs: BA
Posts: 3
I thought FTers might be interested in AST SpaceMobile (NASDAQ: ASTS), which is a satellite phone company, due to launch its first satellite in September. What makes ASTS intriguing is that its Low Earth Orbit satellites will connect to all existing ordinary smartphones, no special satellite phone required. ASTS plans to build out a constellation of up to 200 satellites by the end of the decade, ultimately providing 5G broadband to every square meter of the planet. Customers will need only select "yes" to a satellite roaming question on their phones, and it's seamless (and cheap) from there.
Obviously there are some big technical risks, but if it works, it will provide broadband to billions of underserved people in the developing world, and spell the end of messing about with SIMS and roaming charges for us travellers.
Obviously there are some big technical risks, but if it works, it will provide broadband to billions of underserved people in the developing world, and spell the end of messing about with SIMS and roaming charges for us travellers.
Jul 14, 2022, 6:05 am
#19
Join Date: Feb 2017
Posts: 592
I thought FTers might be interested in AST SpaceMobile (NASDAQ: ASTS), which is a satellite phone company, due to launch its first satellite in September. What makes ASTS intriguing is that its Low Earth Orbit satellites will connect to all existing ordinary smartphones, no special satellite phone required. ASTS plans to build out a constellation of up to 200 satellites by the end of the decade, ultimately providing 5G broadband to every square meter of the planet. Customers will need only select "yes" to a satellite roaming question on their phones, and it's seamless (and cheap) from there.
Obviously there are some big technical risks, but if it works, it will provide broadband to billions of underserved people in the developing world, and spell the end of messing about with SIMS and roaming charges for us travellers.
Obviously there are some big technical risks, but if it works, it will provide broadband to billions of underserved people in the developing world, and spell the end of messing about with SIMS and roaming charges for us travellers.
I wouldn't expect this connectivity to be affordable for everyday roaming service, but a good emergency fallback for many travelers. It also might be related to the recent gift of high speed data roaming from T-Mobile that was granted last month. This was a windfall for those of us with TM who have shopped, analyzed, discussed, tested and reported here on the various roaming packages.
Jul 14, 2022, 8:16 am
#20
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 3,785
I thought FTers might be interested in AST SpaceMobile (NASDAQ: ASTS), which is a satellite phone company, due to launch its first satellite in September. What makes ASTS intriguing is that its Low Earth Orbit satellites will connect to all existing ordinary smartphones, no special satellite phone required. ASTS plans to build out a constellation of up to 200 satellites by the end of the decade, ultimately providing 5G broadband to every square meter of the planet. Customers will need only select "yes" to a satellite roaming question on their phones, and it's seamless (and cheap) from there.
Obviously there are some big technical risks, but if it works, it will provide broadband to billions of underserved people in the developing world, and spell the end of messing about with SIMS and roaming charges for us travellers.
Obviously there are some big technical risks, but if it works, it will provide broadband to billions of underserved people in the developing world, and spell the end of messing about with SIMS and roaming charges for us travellers.
Jul 14, 2022, 4:46 pm
#21
Join Date: Feb 2017
Posts: 592
It seems to be similar to SpaceX/Musk SkyLink satellite array but for current LTE & 5G cellular devices. I read a few press releases and although they plan to launch 200 satellites by the end of 2024, each will only have about 5 minutes of connectivity for areas they service, so the number in the sky overhead is going to be a key factor in their success. They also plan to initially cover equatorial regions first, just as O3B did with their "Other 3 Billion" without connectivity in that zone.
Aug 26, 2022, 8:32 am
#22
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 3,785
It seems to be similar to SpaceX/Musk SkyLink satellite array but for current LTE & 5G cellular devices. I read a few press releases and although they plan to launch 200 satellites by the end of 2024, each will only have about 5 minutes of connectivity for areas they service, so the number in the sky overhead is going to be a key factor in their success. They also plan to initially cover equatorial regions first, just as O3B did with their "Other 3 Billion" without connectivity in that zone.
https://www.wsj.com/articles/spacex-...-s-11661473520
Aug 27, 2022, 12:01 am
#23
Suspended
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Watchlisted by the prejudiced, en route to purgatory
Programs: Just Say No to Fleecing and Blacklisting
Posts: 102,095
I thought FTers might be interested in AST SpaceMobile (NASDAQ: ASTS), which is a satellite phone company, due to launch its first satellite in September. What makes ASTS intriguing is that its Low Earth Orbit satellites will connect to all existing ordinary smartphones, no special satellite phone required. ASTS plans to build out a constellation of up to 200 satellites by the end of the decade, ultimately providing 5G broadband to every square meter of the planet. Customers will need only select "yes" to a satellite roaming question on their phones, and it's seamless (and cheap) from there.
Obviously there are some big technical risks, but if it works, it will provide broadband to billions of underserved people in the developing world, and spell the end of messing about with SIMS and roaming charges for us travellers.
Obviously there are some big technical risks, but if it works, it will provide broadband to billions of underserved people in the developing world, and spell the end of messing about with SIMS and roaming charges for us travellers.
Sep 7, 2022, 1:14 pm
#24
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 3,785
Poor iPhone 14 Satellite SOS feature got it's thunder stolen by T-Mobile and Starlink's announcement 2 weeks ago. I think Apple's video of showing Satellite SOS working under heavy thunder cloud is a bit deceiving. If I can't get the big DirectTV dish pointing straight at the satellite working while there is thunder clouds, I am not sure how well the phone will work without any special antenna. At the end, they did show it working in a desert which is the more likely scenario where it would be useful. I can see that my car ran out of gas or broke down in the middle of a desert road and can't call anyone because there is no cell tower nearby.
Sep 8, 2022, 5:08 am
#25
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: DAL
Posts: 1,447
Poor iPhone 14 Satellite SOS feature got it's thunder stolen by T-Mobile and Starlink's announcement 2 weeks ago. I think Apple's video of showing Satellite SOS working under heavy thunder cloud is a bit deceiving. If I can't get the big DirectTV dish pointing straight at the satellite working while there is thunder clouds, I am not sure how well the phone will work without any special antenna. At the end, they did show it working in a desert which is the more likely scenario where it would be useful. I can see that my car ran out of gas or broke down in the middle of a desert road and can't call anyone because there is no cell tower nearby.
Sep 8, 2022, 9:11 am
#26
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 3,785
Direct TV’s 11 satellites orbit at 22,236 miles above the earth. Starlink’s 3,000+ satellites orbit at 340 miles above the earth. Comparing reception for the 2 systems is an apple/orange comparison. Starlink was designed with mobile communication services as an objective.
EDIT: looks like Apple is partnered with GlobalStar which has low orbit (but not as low as Starlink) at 1400km. I am still skeptical about pointing the phone at the satellite thru the storm clouds would let the message go thru.
Last edited by Need; Sep 8, 2022 at 9:48 am