Satellite phoneA satellite phone (also called a satellite telephone or satphone) is a type of mobile phone that connects to the public switched telephone network through orbiting satellites instead of terrestrial cell sites. While cellular telephone service companies rely on cell towers, satellite service functions even in areas without terrestrial network coverage but require line-of-sight to a satellite. Most support voice, text, and low-bandwidth data services.
Ground stationA ground station, Earth station, or Earth terminal is a terrestrial radio station designed for extraplanetary telecommunication with spacecraft (constituting part of the ground segment of the spacecraft system), or reception of radio waves from astronomical radio sources. Ground stations may be located either on the surface of the Earth, or in its atmosphere.
Satellite constellationA satellite constellation is a group of artificial satellites working together as a system. Unlike a single satellite, a constellation can provide permanent global or near-global coverage, such that at any time everywhere on Earth at least one satellite is visible. Satellites are typically placed in sets of complementary orbital planes and connect to globally distributed ground stations. They may also use inter-satellite communication.
SPOT Satellite MessengerSPOT is a GPS tracking device that uses the Globalstar satellite network to provide text messaging and GPS tracking (depending on the subscription type purchased). It has a coverage area that includes a large portion of the planet, with the exception of extreme northern and southern latitudes and parts of the Pacific Ocean. Depending on the product, SPOT can send and receive communications. OverviewThe device is sold by SPOT LLC, a subsidiary of Globalstar.
Amazon LeoAmazon Leo, is a subsidiary of Amazon established in 2019 to deploy a large satellite internet constellation providing low-latency broadband connectivity. The project's original codename, Project Kuiper, was inspired by the Kuiper belt. The service was rebranded as Amazon Leo in November 2025. In July 2020, the Federal Communications Commission authorized Amazon to deploy 3,236 satellites into low Earth orbit.
QualcommAmerican semiconductor companyQualcomm Incorporated () is an American multinational technology corporation headquartered in San Diego, California. The company develops and designs technologies for global communications and computing, including next-generation mobile networks, smart devices, and semiconductors — such as mobile processors and artificial intelligence chips.
Amazon (company)American multinational technology conglomerateAmazon.com, Inc. (doing business asAmazon) is an American multinational technology conglomerate engaged in e-commerce, cloud computing, online advertising, digital streaming, entertainment, and artificial intelligence.
InternetGlobal system of connected computer networks
Packet switchingMethod for transmitting data over a computer networkIn telecommunications, packet switching is a method of grouping data into short messages in fixed format, i.e., packets, that are transmitted over a telecommunications network. Packets consist of a header and a payload. The header directs the packet to its destination, where the payload is extracted and used by an operating system, application software, or higher-layer protocols.
Bit rateIn telecommunications and computing, bit rate (bitrate or as a variable R) is the number of bits that are conveyed or processed per unit of time. The bit rate is expressed as bits per second (symbol: bit/s), often with an SI prefix such as kilo (1 kbit/s = 1,000 bit/s), mega (1 Mbit/s = 1,000 kbit/s), giga (1 Gbit/s = 1,000 Mbit/s) or tera (1 Tbit/s = 1,000 Gbit/s). The non-standard abbreviation bps is often used: 1 Mbps is 1 Mbit/s, that is, one million bits per second.
Low Earth orbitA low Earth orbit (LEO) is an orbit around Earth with a period of 128 minutes or less (making at least 11.25 orbits per day) and an eccentricity less than 0.25. Most of the artificial objects in outer space are in LEO, peaking in number at an altitude around 800 km (500 mi), while the farthest in LEO, before medium Earth orbit (MEO), have an altitude of 2,000 kilometers, about one-third of the radius of Earth and near the beginning of the inner Van Allen radiation belt.
Code-division multiple accessCode-division multiple access (CDMA) is a channel access method used by various radio communication technologies. CDMA is an example of multiple access, where several transmitters can send information simultaneously over a single communication channel. This allows several users to share a band of frequencies (see bandwidth).*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.