Coverage at a glance
A short tour of which network covers what, and why "global" means four different things to four different operators.
The short version
| Network | Coverage | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Iridium | Truly global, including poles | The most flexible of the four — works anywhere on Earth* |
| Inmarsat | Roughly 76°N to 76°S | Best near the equator, weaker toward the 76° edges; no polar coverage |
| Thuraya | Europe, Africa, Middle East, Central Asia | No coverage in the Americas or the Asia-Pacific |
| Globalstar | Americas, Europe, parts of Africa, Asia, Australia | Coverage depends on nearby ground stations — check the published map |
* Iridium complies with US embargo restrictions, so service is withheld in a small number of sanctioned territories. Some countries also restrict possession or use of satellite phones — see the notes at the foot of this page.
Why orbits matter
- LEO (low earth orbit) — Iridium, Globalstar: satellites move across the sky. The constellation is sized to keep at least one in view from anywhere it claims to cover. Each satellite is overhead for only a few minutes, so your call is handed from one to the next. With a clear view of the whole sky the handover is seamless; with hills, buildings or a partly blocked horizon, signal comes and goes as satellites pass — well suited to short check-ins and emergency calls, but longer calls may drop and need redialling.
- GEO (geostationary) — Inmarsat, Thuraya: satellites are parked over the equator, so they appear fixed in the sky. From the ground, you point an antenna once. From the satellite’s perspective, the curve of the Earth hides the poles. The nearer the equator you are, the higher the satellite sits in your sky and the stronger the link. Toward the latitude limits it drops to the horizon — hills, buildings and sea swell block it more easily, and signal weakens well before coverage formally ends.
If you’ll operate above 76°N or below 76°S — that includes Svalbard, much of Greenland, the Antarctic — only Iridium is reliably useful.
Indoor coverage
No satphone works reliably indoors. Some, with luck, work through a window facing the satellite. If your use case is mostly inside buildings, you need an external antenna kit (we sell them) or a different solution.
Urban canyons and forests
Tall buildings, dense foliage and steep terrain all block satellite signals. Always step outside and into a clear view of the sky before making a call. This is the single most common cause of “my satphone doesn’t work” support tickets.