Canadian firm introduces ‘global’ satellite phones

Canadian firm Stratos Global Corp. is offering satellite telephone communications in the country at more affordable rates.

Michael Smith, Stratos vice president for Asia Pacific, said they have launched Iridium satellite services here to cater to shipping, mining and aeronautics companies as well as government soldiers fighting rebels in the hinterlands.

"We will be offering customers who operate in remote locations without cellular or landline telecommunications facilities," he said.

Stratos is riding on the just relaunched Iridium, which has a constellation of 66 satellites orbiting the Earth. Iridium made waves when it was launched several years ago but because of its high rates, it eventually folded up but later bought at a bargain price by a venture capital firm.

At present, Iridium’s biggest client is the US Department of National Defense which has equipped thousands of American soldiers with satellite phones.

This, according to Smith, has made the company more viable and allowed it to offer as low as 50 US cents a minute for calls anywhere in the world. Iridium charges a flat rate of $1.50 for calls to and from non-satellite phones.

Stratos’ entry into the country will pit it head to head with Smart Communications which offers the Smart ACeS satellite services. Smith made it clear, however, that Smart ACeS only works in Asia, unlike Iridium which works globally.

The main hindrance for Stratos’ services though is the high cost of satellite phones. Refurbished handsets start at $495 while the newly released Motorola 9505 sells for $1,495.

Thus, Smith said they expect only to get corporate clients. For one, Shell Phils. Exploration, which operates a natural gas plant in Palawan, has expressed interest in Stratos’ services.