Satellite Phones to Be No Larger than Conventional Cell Phone

Hybrid Satellite-Cell Pocket Phone May Arrive This Year
PC World

TerreStar Networks plans to launch a mobile phone service this year that offers a mix of satellite and cellular service. Unlike the bulky, brick-sized satellite handsets of years past, a TerreStar device will be no larger than a conventional smartphone.

According to a Washington Post report, TerreStar phones will connect via the AT&T network when in cell range, and switch to the company’s satellite service when they’re not. It’s a clever idea, although one that probably won’t have mainstream appeal right off the bat.

The target market? TerreStar hopes to attract federal agencies and emergency workers who need phone service when cellular networks fail, such as during natural disasters.

The satellite-terrestrial network is dependent upon a successful launch of the company’s TerreStar-1 satellite, which is scheduled to take off today. The $300 million TerreStar-1, with a 65-foot wingspan, is twice the size of a typical TV satellite, the Post reports.

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