AT&T to Bring Terrestar Satellite Phone
AT&T and Terrestar will soon bring out their hybrid cellular-satellite phone. This 3G phone will be known as the Terrestar Genus and will be based on Windows Mobile OS. AT&T aims to market this phone to business users. The phone will use both AT&T’s conventional cell phone network and also Terrestar’s satellite phone service when out of coverage area.
The Terrestar Genus will measure 4.7×2.5×0.8 inches and come with features such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS support, a 3 MP camera, 100 MB of internal storage and a MicroSD expansion port. In addition, it will feature a 2.6-inch touchscreen. It will run on Windows Mobile 6.5 Professional.
The Genus smartphone will come loaded with a VOIP phone application, Microsoft Office Mobile and Outlook Mobile. It will work with GSM/EDGE/UMTS/HSDPA networks. The phone will work in continental US, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands and US territorial waters.
As of now, AT&T has not revealed any details about the pricing. However, it can be said that the service won’t be cheap. Along with the Genus phone, users will also be required to sign up for AT&T’s data and voice service and also satellite access feature. Additional charges will also apply while using the satellite access feature.
The Terrestar Genus will be available in the first quarter of 2010. It will only be available to enterprise, government and small business users. However, similar services may be available to individual consumers as well in the coming years. And these services won’t be cheap by any means–be prepared to pay premium for having your phone always connected.
