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News
First call on Inmarsat handheld phone
(Jan 29 2010)
Inmarsat reports that that the first call has been made using its new global handheld service, IsatPhone Pro, which is scheduled for launch in June 2010.
In preparation for launch, Inmarsat says it has passed a number of key milestones in the development of the service and finalised some essential contracts and distribution arrangements.
A contract to upgrade the Inmarsat ground network was completed on schedule by Lockheed Martin, and further testing on the integration between the handset and the ground network is underway.
Inmarsat's partner for the handset development is Sasken Communications Technologies, while Elcoteq, the world's third largest manufacturer of mobile phones, has been appointed to produce the IsatPhone Pro at its facility in Tallinn, Estonia.
Eleven distribution partners around the world have been selected to sell the phone at launch, including AST, NSSL, Satcom Global, Singtel, Stratos and Vizada.
"The first call is a significant milestone, and we're very pleased with the voice quality in initial tests," said Helen Stalker, Inmarsat's commercial director of global satellite phone services.
"IsatPhone Pro is the ultimate combination. It's a robust handset that is easy to use, has long battery life, and offers a reliable global network connection."
For the maritime market, Ms Stalker notes that the launch will include the offer of a docking unit specifically designed for installation onboard ship, which the company hopes will broaden the appeal of the phone to the sector.
"The phone will inevitably be used at sea – either with or without a docking unit – but this gives users additional flexibility," she said.
The handheld will offer satellite telephony, with Bluetooth for hands-free use, voicemail, text and e-mail messaging. Location data will also be available to the user to look up or send in a text message.
IsatPhone Pro is the first Inmarsat handheld to be purpose-built for its satellite network.
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