Inmarsat announced the availability of a data service on IsatPhone Pro, its global handheld satellite phone.
The new circuit-switched data capability, offering an effective data rate of up to 20kbps, will be provided in the next firmware upgrade to the handset on March 31.
According to Inmarsat, the handset design means the IsatPhone Pro can be simply placed on its side with the antenna deployed for connection to the satellite while a micro USB cable connects it to a laptop. The Inmarsat-4 satellites on which the service runs are designed specifically to handle data communications.
Inmarsat further said in addition to the data capability, the next firmware upgrade for IsatPhone Pro will feature a number of service enhancements.
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