by Jeff Thomassen, OCENS, Inc.
Looking for a communications solution in preparation for your next trip? Confused by all the different satellite options that are available today and what you should expect from them?
Let me toss out some basic information on the various systems to at least get you thinking in the right direction. Let’s look at the top three satellite network providers, what they offer for basic hardware and service options, and point out the primary features that each brings to the table.
Globalstar:
The Globalstar network is designed around what is called a “bent pipe” architecture. This means that to complete a call the satellite must be able to see your phone as well as the ground station. Calls go from your phone to the satellite and are then relayed directly back down to the ground station. Calls do not transfer between satellites. This design results in coverage that is limited to areas relative to where the ground stations are. This is why there is no coverage in areas such as the middle of the ocean. Globalstar can be a good low-cost option for you if you are cruising primarily the Gulf of Mexico or just up and down the coasts (no south Pacific or southern Caribbean coverage). There is however good European coverage once you get there, but you will have a short gap in service mid ocean.
The current handheld phone is very inexpensive and in some cases free with qualifying plans, airtime is around $1 per min, and the docking stations are inexpensive as well. The Globalstar network supports data speeds up to 9600 baud (about 72kB/min, in other words, you can transfer a 72 kilobyte file in about 1 minute of airtime) which is great for routine email and weather. Still a bit slow for any real internet surfing even with compression services.
Globalstar does have a Wi-Fi add-on module available for wireless data access between your handheld phone or docking station setup allowing data connections between your smartphone or computer. This is a great option and is HIGHLY recommended as it greatly simplifies the setup configuration and provides more reliable modem connections. There is also a stand-alone Wi-Fi/satellite phone (SatFi) available as an alternative to the fore-mentioned hardware. The SatFi is the wireless router and the satellite phone all in one unit. Keep in mind that you must have a smartphone or a computer to communicate with the SatFi for making voice calls.
Globalstar also has the SPOT Tracking device. This is a nice low cost tracker that will give you a way to share your position with others back home. SPOT can also be used with other third party group tracking services. Another great feature is a handy SOS button that when pressed can send a message to emergency coordinators letting them know that you need help and provides them with your position.
Iridium:
The Iridium network is based on satellites that are in low earth orbit like the Globalstar satellites, but the Iridium ones are able to transfer calls between satellites. This allows Iridium to have 100% coverage around the world. All of the calls are routed and land in Arizona no matter where you are.
Iridium’s equipment is a bit more expensive with the handheld phones starting at around $1,000. Docking stations, small fixed external antennas, Wi-Fi adapters and such are available as well in a few different configurations. Iridium also offers a lower cost standalone Wi-Fi satellite device called the Iridium GO! This small, portable satellite phone device provides a Wi-Fi hotspot that you connect your smartphone or computer to for voice and data communications (same as with the Globalstar SatFi mentioned above).
The latest Iridium phones also include GPS position reporting. This is great if you want to share your position with others, post it to a website or use the SOS feature for alerting emergency services.
With the Iridium handheld phones, airtime is going to run you about $1.49 per min for voice or data calls. If you are looking at an Iridium GO there are even unlimited data plans – keep in mind that the speed is still only 2400 baud.
The current Iridium network is capable of data speeds around 2400 baud (about 18 kilobytes per minute). Way too slow for web surfing, but usable for email and weather when using services that are designed specifically for satellite communications networks.
Inmarsat:
Lastly, let’s look at the Inmarsat system. The Inmarsat system is based on three GEO stationary satellites that are about 22,000 miles up, one covering each major ocean region. This configuration gives you coverage anywhere in the world between about 70 degrees North and 70 degrees South latitude. You also need to make sure that your satellite phone can see the satellite. If it can’t see the satellite, you need to move to a different location or remove any obstruction so that you can see the satellite rather than just waiting for the satellites to move like with Iridium and Globalstar systems. This is also why the high speed terminals that Inmarsat offers have small domes with stabilized antennas, so it can keep the dish pointed at the satellite while you are rolling around or changing directions.
Inmarsat offers a range of equipment options including a handheld phone called the IsatPhone Pro. This is great for voice communications and “ok” for very limited data. The data speed is only about 2400 – the same as the Iridium – but we have found that it typically runs slower than the Iridium. Thus at the typical $1 per min airtime, your downloads end up costing more.
The other more popular Inmarsat systems are the Fleet Broadband terminals. These consist of a small dome antenna (about 11inches in diameter) and a below deck unit about the size of a laptop. These units support data speeds from 100kbps to almost 300 kbps depending on the terminal you purchase. The systems cost anywhere from $3500 to almost $10,000, depending on maximum speed and the coverage area it is provisioned for. Airtime for these units can run from about $5 per megabyte to around $20 per megabyte (note that data is billed per megabyte where the Globalstar and Iridium systems mentioned above both bill data calls in minutes). You will need to look at the plans available for the Fleet Broadband systems in detail as the much better rates typically mean you are buying into a higher usage / yearly contract or the plan may have real limitations on coverage or duration of the prepaid plan. Because of the high speeds, you will need to have tools in place to protect from expensive runaway data that can run up your bill very fast (such as background software updates for example).
This a very quick look at some of the basics, but I hope it is a helpful start.
Jeff Thomassen is the CTO of OCENS, Inc. A leading satellite communications provider and software solutions company providing weather, email, messaging and tracking solutions. Contact Jeff at jeff@ocens.com or 206.878.8270.