Page 81: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (September 1998)

tomorrow.

A wide horizon is a privilege, not a right

SAILOR SATELLITE SYSTEMS

Iridium Helps Push

Worldwide SatCom

Into The Palm

Iridium, which is quickly estab- lishing its global satellite network (see related story on page ), has helped — with the assistance of partners Motorola and Kyocera — shrink the size of a satellite tele- phone into a lightweight handheld unit.

The phones have been in devel- opment for more than seven years, and their small size is, in large, attributed to the low orbiting satel- lite constellation being established by Iridium.

Circle 27 on Reader Service Card

Transas Group Adds Latin

America

Transas Marine Latin America has completed its first sale with an installation onboard Argentine

Fragata A.R.A. Libertad.

The system includes a Transas

NaviSailor 2400 ECS with a world- 63 from satellite to satellite before bouncing them back. Iridium will offer voice, paging and data ser- vices (at up to 2,400 bit/sec) via hand-held terminals.

Globalstar

Developed by Qualcomm and

Alcatel, Globalstar seeks to offer voice and data services (at 9,600 bit/sec.) as an extension of terres- trial cellular networks. Globalstar will use a network of 48 LEO satel- lites to cover the world. Globalstar satellites don't process or switch traffic onboard, as calls are imme- diately bounced back to a gateway (land earth station) and into the public telephone network. Testing is to commence at the end of this year; commercial service is planned for the summer of 1999.

ICO

ICO is not really a LEO system, as it will enlist a much smaller net- work (12) of satellites orbiting higher (at 6,500 miles). Together, with onboard call switching, this method makes for an excellent bal- ance of coverage, capacity, quality and equipment size. ICO is being developed as a spin-off from the existing Inmarsat network. It is expected to be offering worldwide voice, data, fax and messaging ser- vices by 2000.

Sailor has a long history as p a leading manufacturer and supplier of satellite com- munication systems. Our products are sold as both stand alone products and as integrated units in our highly regarded GMDSS solutions.

With the latest SAILOR SP4400

SAT-B. Sailor has untangled the Gordian knot of satellite technology.

It is a flagship among digital Ship Earth

Stations (SES) and a breakthrough in maritime aerial technology, transmission speed, quality and reliability.

Sailor has always aimed for new horizons. When we have planned an innovative course for the future we

LW follow it. SAILOR SP4400 is ^^^ the result of this highly vi- sionary development strategy.

Today, nearly 10°/o of our annual turnover is invested in product research and development and more than one in ten of S.P. Radio's employees is involved in projects facing the challenges of

S.P. RADIO A/S • Porsvej 2 • DK-9200 AalbOrg SV • Denmark • Phone. +45 9634 6100 • Fax +45 9634 6101

Telex 69 789 SPRAD DK - E-mail: [email protected] • Web: www.sailor.dk

September, 1998 Circle 298 on Reader Service Card der development: Iridium, obalstar and ICO. There are any other planned and discussed, t these three promise to have e most immediate and lasting ect. (The following profiles were cently presented in Station 12's ewsletter, On The Wave, Volume 5, July 1998).

Iridium

One of the best known LEOs,

Iridium is about the closest to being fully operational. Two-thirds (of 66) of the satellites have been launched, testing (at press time) is underway and commercial service is to commence later this month.

Each Iridium satellite orbits at an altitude of 485 miles, making for very short transmission delay times and subsequently high voice quality. Iridium switches calls within each satellite, relaying calls