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Iridium 9505 handset shifts satellite boundaries

The Iridium Satellite Series 9505 portable telephone transcends other currently available satellite communication offerings, according to its local distributor Lipton Griffin International (LGI), the authorised African distributor of both Motorola and Globalcom, Africa's premier Iridium Satellite service provider.

While satellite handsets are by no means as feature-rich as their cellular counterparts - at least not yet - products like the Iridium 9505 are a far cry indeed from the old briefcase phones with their accompanying mini satellite dishes!

The Iridium 9505 mobile satellite phone is smaller, lighter and more water, dust and shock resistant than its predecessor, the 9500. These qualities along with its inherent robustness make it an ideal tool for industrial environments and the rugged conditions prevalent in Africa.

Take it to the top of Kilimanjaro, into the barren heart of the Sahara, from Cape to Cairo, or even Cancun to Calcutta; the power of the 9505, combined with Iridium's global coverage means that communicating is a cinch wherever you are. This go-anywhere phone also incorporates the best features of GSM technology, like SMS messaging, genuine portability versus 'briefcase portability', and more.

Among the exclusive features of the Iridium 9505 is a headset jack, while other functionality includes an illuminated graphic display and keypad, 32-digit number capacity phone book, a 16-digit (character) name tag capability and continuous signal strength display.

A standard 9505 battery delivers up to 2,4 hours of talk time and 24 hours of standby, while the optional High Capacity Battery offers 3,6 hours talk time, 38 hours standby and the Ultra High Capacity Battery an impressive 7,6 hours talk time or 72 hours standby. Fast charging time for the standard battery is just 2,5 hours.

Iridium Satellite LLC, now firmly in the black after digesting its initial start-up costs, is the only provider of truly global satellite voice and data solutions, with complete coverage of the earth, including oceans, airways and the polar regions. The company's products and services are sold and supported by a global network of distributors like LGI and service providers such as Globalcom, while its larger clients include the likes of the US Department of Defense.

Satellite communications have long been touted as the solution for Africa's lack of telecoms infrastructure, but until recently the high cost thereof meant that it was only available to those representing the pockets of extreme wealth on the continent. Satellite telephony, is however, becoming more affordable and package deals like Iridium's Africa Special Airtime - at just US $1 per minute, to call from anywhere in Africa to anywhere in the world - put it within the reach of a far greater market.

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