About Iridium Network
Iridium is the only satellite network with total global coverage. Iridium provides voice, paging, 160-character
two-way short text messaging (SMS), emergency 911 service (dial sequence 00-911)
and internet access services to subscribers anywhere on the surface of the
earth. Iridium offers its service to mobile users through a small portable 9505A handset. There are several docking systems your car, boat or plane, as well as systems designed for permanent indoors or below-decks use in fixed-site or marine applications. Outfitter Satellite offers a variety of external antennas, antenna cables, and accessories such as data kits, watertight cases, and secure communications equipment for your Iridium phone. Read more...
HOW TO CALL AN IRIDIUM PHONE: Your Iridium phone has a 12-digit mobile number beginning with 8816 (the international country code for Iridium). A caller in the US wishing to avoid making an expensive international call, can call your Iridium phone by using two-stage dialing. This is done by dialing 1-480-768-2500 and entering the 12-digit mobile number. A direct call to your 8816 number is not charged to your Iridium phone account. A two-stage call is charged to your Iridium phone account. Outfitter Satellite also offers 1+ service for your Iridium phone for a small monthly fee. For rate information or technical assistance with your Iridium phone, call us or contact us online.
IRIDIUM DATA SERVICES: With a real data rate of 2400 bps, Iridium usually is not the best choice
for customers intending to transmit large data files. By comparision,
Inmarsat BGAN offers data speeds up to 492,000 bps. However, if you have a light usage application such as sending and receiving a few text-based emails, Iridium may be sufficient for your data application. Also, many customers choose Iridium because they do not want to carry heavier Inmarsat terminals or because they are travelling in an area not covered by Inmarsat or other satellite networks. Iridium coverage is global, and its data services can be used to transmit large data files using software such as SkyFile available from Outfitter Satellite. SkyFile is extremely easy to use and has many advanced features such as Crash & Recovery in case your Iridium data session is unexpectedly interrupted enabling you to resume transmitting the data file without repeating the entire transmission. SkyFile includes white lists and virus filtering. You can even download an email without downloading its attachment. In short, SkyFile puts you in control and lets you reduce satellite communication time.
HOW IRIDIUM WORKS: The
Iridium System uses a large constellation of Low Earth Orbit (LEO)
satellites in polar orbits about 485 miles above the earth's surface.
The satellites orbit once every 100 minutes. Iridium mobile phones use omni-directional antennas. A user merely needs to have line-of-site between his/her Iridium antenna and one of the LEO satellites. A call from the Iridium
mobile phone on the ground is routed through a chain of one or more
Iridium satellites until it can be routed to an Iridium gateway (ground
station). From the gateway, voice calls are routed through the public
switched telephone network (PSTN) and on to their final destination. The ability to route calls through multiple satellites is a key reason why Iridium can offer total global coverage without maintaining a large number of expensive ground stations. No matter how remote your location (including mid-ocean and polar regions), Iridium coverage is available. Iridium voluntarily blocks service to any country that does not want Iridium service in their territory. Currently, there are only a few countries that have voluntarily opted out of Iridium service. Call Outfitter Satellite for more information.
