Global Satellite Broadband ISP Tariam has announced that its new ultra lightweight global satellite phone will be launched in June.
isatphone Pro will offer satellite telephony, with Bluetooth for hands-free use, voicemail, and text and email messaging. Location data will also be available to the user to look up or send in a text message.
Although it looks and feels like a modern GSM mobile phone, isatphone Pro is designed primarily for professional users in the government, media, aid, oil and gas, mining and construction sectors.
Tariam’s Business Development Manager Neil Waugh said
“We’re extremely excited about isatphone Pro because its means we can bring the fantastic flexibility of satellite communications to a new group of mobile users. Most of us remember satellite phones that were like the early cellular phones, expensive, very heavy, and complicated to use.
“isatphone Pro is very small, works anywhere, its simple to use and has great battery life. It’s the first handset to be purpose-built for the Inmarsat network.
The isatphone Pro handset has been developed by Inmarsat in conjunction with Sasken Communications Technologies, which has led development programmes for most of the world’s top mobile phone manufacturers. Elcoteq, the world’s third largest manufacturer of mobile phones, has been appointed to manufacture isatphone Pro at its facility in Tallinn, Estonia.
Neil went on to say
“We’ll be offering the phone from June 2010 with call packages similar to those you see on the high street for normal mobile phones. Although it’s a completely unique offering, the price will be extremely keen and we expect it to become one of our best selling products”.
