Cellular/satellite phone debuts for the masses
A dual-mode phone usually sports cellular and Wi-Fi connections. However, there’s now a handset option with cellular and satellite communications for emergency responders and others who may find themselves frequently beyond the reach of any terrestrial mobile network (folks in the desert or on an offshore oil rig, for example).
The Windows Mobile-based TerreStar Genus, which recently became available to consumers following a release for businesses and government workers in September, works on the AT&T 3G cellular network most of the time. But if you are out in the boonies beyond cell tower coverage, you can invoke the satellite capabilities.
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Coughing up about $1,150 (ouch!) gets you a slim, modern touch screen phone with a 2.0 megapixel camera, MicroSD slot, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS and QWERTY keypad in a candy bar form factor. The device uses a single phone number regardless of which network you are on. You get the voice, data, and messaging capabilities you’ve grown accustomed to with cellular service via a secondary satellite connection, provided you have an open view to the southern sky.
What’s a bit odd is that AT&T made the device available through business channels in September for $799, which, while still steep, is a far more consumer-friendly price.
The general availability of a smartphone with one phone number and features that work the same way whether you’re on a cellular or satellite network is a wireless milestone. Sure, there are a few kinks to work out. But what a difference from the days when on-location news reporters lugged around multiple-pound satellite phones in bags in order to be able get live news coverage back to their newsrooms.
Also applaud-able is TerreStar’s simple and truthful tutorial for using the device. Available on YouTube, the animated tutorial warns that you’ll experience a delay when you change to satellite coverage and that you should avoid tunnels and caves while using the phone. In other words, they’ve set expectations about the experience, which is refreshing.
Now, if you can just scrape together the cash for the phone, $25 per month for satellite service plus 65 cents per minute of calling, $0.40 per text and $5 per megabyte for data, you’re golden.
