MANILA, March 8 (PNA) — Representatives from both the public and private sectors are upbeat with the launch of SmartSAT, the first commercial satellite communications service in the country, as well as the availability of cutting-edge satellite devices from leading wireless services leader Smart Communications Inc. (Smart).
“No more is a satellite communications system important than in an archipelagic country like the Philippines which is also prone to disasters,” said former senator and now Philippine Red Cross chair Richard Gordon during the recent SmartSAT launch at the Jump Center in SM Megamall in Mandaluyong City.
“Out of years of experience in dealing with natural disasters, we know that in a strong typhoon, there are times when you lose contact. You fret, you fidget, you worry and resort to a lot of guesswork,” Gordon said.
“This is where satellite communication systems become important, and I am very happy to find that Smart and Thuraya have forged a partnership to equip the Philippines in front-line operations in disasters and other kinds of emergencies,” he added.
Under SmartSAT, Smart now offers the SatSleeve for iPhone and SatSleeve for Android, two revolutionary cases that instantly transform iPhone 5 or iPhone 5s handsets and Samsung Galaxy S4 units, respectively, into a satellite phone. Smart also offers the XT, a stand-alone satellite phone that is ruggedized to withstand tough environments.
Each of the devices is offered in a SmartSAT package worth P 38,500, inclusive of a special satellite SIM with an initial airtime credit load of US$ 225 or around P 10,000, valid for one year.
With these devices, anyone can make a call, send a message or access the internet anywhere within the coverage of Smart’s partner, Thuraya Telecommunications Co., which spans to over 160 countries and the major sealanes in Asia, New Zealand, Australia, Middle East, Africa, Europe, and Indian Ocean. (PNA)