Satellite Phones

[HRS]

Satellite phones are rugged and used for businessmen going on safari for the most part, and run about the same as a regular cellular communications phone. Why are there not any companies seeking to integrate satellite communication phones in the same fashion that cells are today, technologically and economically (i.e. touch screens, contracts)? Are there any difficulties in infrastructure or ability that are limiting in this development?

[Ten oz]

I have wondered the same. A couple years back I thought satellite phones were the obvious replacement to cell phones for many travelers. I researched companies that built satellite phones thinking it would be a good investment opportunity. I found that there were only a few companies in the market and all were private. Looking back now guess it wouldn't have been such a great investment. Apps like FaceTime, google hangouts, and etc allow for international communication over the Internet. While that may not help on a safari it does satisfy a big chunk of the globe trotting market.

[Endy0816]

Cost per minute is pricey.

 

Reasons off the top of my head:

• Satellite cost.
• Satellite positioning(launch costs and and any further fuel expenditures).
• Getting your signal to the satellite which adds to the cost of the phone itself.
• Space junk issue(need to allow for possible damage and eventual repositioning to graveyard orbit).
• Labor needed to keep the system up and running.
• Limited life expectancy, eventually requiring another launch or in theory some means of in-space repair.

[Enthalpy]

Satellites are not up to the task.

 

Their cumulated throughput is ridiculous as compared with cell phones needs, because they don't easily use the same frequency at varied locations.

 

Communicating with them (36,000km if geosynchronous) is seriously more difficult than to the next pylon (2km).

 

Developers try to improve these drawbacks but progress won't cancel out the huge handicap.