Sasken Comm to launch IsatPhone Pro - handheld satellite phone by June

Sasken Communication Technologies Ltd, a global provider of software and support services for the communication industry, has reported that IsatPhone Pro, a handheld satellite phone developed by Sasken for Inmarsat, the leader in global mobile satellite communications services, has completed its first call from Hawaii and is set for a planned global launch in June 2010, the company said in a regulatory filing.

“One of the most important elements of the IsatPhone Pro development has been the R&D, and Sasken has successfully delivered on all key milestones in the last 13 months of this engagement,” said Helen Stalker, commercial director of Global Satellite Phone Services at Inmarsat. “We are all looking forward to the phone’s launch planned for June,” she added.

Sasken is responsible for end-to-end development of the IsatPhone Pro satellite phone, which has been made possible through its multi-site capabilities and centres of excellence in India, Finland and Germany. Last year around this time, we announced the partnership with Inmarsat to bring its global handheld satellite phone to the market. This year, they are all set to deliver on that promise.

New Iridium Satellite Phone - 9555

Iridium's latest satellite phone - the Iridium 9555 - is a vast departure from most existing "brick" satellite phones and appears well on its way to looking like a cell phone. With its hand-friendly form factor and bright screen, the 9555 is expected to find a large audience among first responders and public-safety users.

The handset was introduced at this week's Iridium Partner Conference and is expected to be available for customers next month. With its hand-friendly form factor and bright screen, the 9555 is expected to find a large audience among first responders and public-safety users. The phone has a mini USB port and features e-mail capability.

Iridium phones are the only handsets that can be used in absolutely any location, in any condition, instead of cellular, landline, or radio services that can become inoperable when towers go down or telecommunications infrastructure is compromised. The 9555 is the phone that first responders will want to have on hand for backup emergency communications in case of natural or man-made disasters.

While still expensive by cell phone standards, the 9555, along with new calling plans, is expected to bring the phone into the affordability range of more U.S. rural users, who can't get traditional cell phone service. A refurbished Iridium phone can cost less than $1,000, while some corporate calling plans enable users to call for as little as 15 cents a minute, although typical calls range from 99 cents to $1.49 a minute.