Cell Phones in Great Britain - Satellite phone data (internet access) options?

Author

Satellite phone data (internet access) options?

Peter

2007-11-25, 4:33 am

Can anyone give me a quick summary of what one can get?

I believe one can now get internet access i.e. data, at around 9600 to
38400 baud. Is this available on all networks? I believe there are
two: Iridium and one other?

The application is getting internet data while airborne in a light
aircraft. There is a German company which sells a product that
involves installing an off the shelf mobile phone in the aircraft,
with a cable running from it to their "box". They don't say much about
it...

What sort of costs are involved? I understand there is no PAYG, only
contract. Is the data billed as GSM (i.e. per minute of call), or per
kb as on GPRS/3G?

I've heard of one company http://www.7e.com/ that was renting out a
special system for news gathering from remote areas, comprising of a
laptop with a satellite phone inside, and a directional antenna. I
wonder what the point of that is?

Thank you in advance for any pointers.

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