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Iridium National & International Coverage ..

Global Coverage

The Pivotol Iridium network offers a reliable global communications network service.

According to the Frost & Sullivan report (an independant report) over 99% of calls are sucessfully connected and completed without being disconnected.

Iridium has more satellites than any other commercial constellation, and they are constantly in view of every part of the Earth. With no service gaps, Iridium users should be able to pick up and hold a strong communications signal, allowing them to place or receive calls just about anywhere as long as there is a direct line of sight to the sky.

The Iridium Network comprises 66 satellites operating at 780km altitude, and the ground gateway infrastructure.

The satellites are organised into 6 orbital planes with 11 satellites per plane. This ensures that each location on the globe is covered by at least one satellite at any one time. The satellites spin around the earth at over 26,000km/h or circle the earth every 100 minutes, and the orbital planes go over the poles.

Each satellite is connected to four other satellites in the network. The two adjacent satellites in the same plane and two satellites in the planes either side. Through this cross-linking the satellites can route calls from satellite to satellite until it reaches one in view of the ground gateway. The ground gateway then connects the call to the Pivotel switching infrastructue.

Australian Territory

Pivotel's Iridium Australian Coverage includes all areas of Australian national territory, excluding Antartica, and 200NM off-shore.

Calls made from within the Australian national territory are charged at the applicable local mobile satellite rates while calls made from outside the Australian national territory are charged at the applicable Value-Added Services rate

This information is effective as of 18th February 2008.