Sending messages to a satphone
A short reference for sending messages to satellite phones via SMS, email and the operator portals.
SMS to a satphone
In most cases, UK and EU mobile networks can send SMS directly to Iridium and Inmarsat handsets. They are billed as international SMS — check with your provider.
| Operator | Format |
|---|---|
| Iridium | +881 xxxxxxxx |
| Inmarsat IsatPhone | +870 xxxxxxx |
| Thuraya | +882 16 xxxxxx |
| Globalstar | +881 xxxxxxxx |
Email to a satphone
Some operators allow inbound email — useful for sending longer messages free of charge.
- Iridium 9575 / 9555: send to
<phone-number>@msg.iridium.com(replace with the digits of the satphone number) - Iridium GO!: uses the Iridium GO! app’s email account on board
- Inmarsat IsatPhone: has a separate dedicated SMS gateway — talk to us
- Thuraya: SMS-via-email via the operator’s portal
Operator web portals
- Iridium: Iridium Message via the Iridium customer portal
- Inmarsat: SMS-to-IsatPhone via the Inmarsat website (free)
- Thuraya: SMS portal at Thuraya.com
Tips
- Keep messages short. SMS to satellite handsets is concatenated above 160 characters and may fail.
- Acknowledge receipt. Ask the recipient to confirm — satellite SMS is more lossy than terrestrial.
- For real-time messaging, use the operator’s dedicated messaging app where available (Iridium GO!, IsatHub Voice).
Need help configuring messaging for a fleet? Talk to us.