Differences Between Satellite and Cellular Phone
The Basics Differences Between Satellite Phone and Cellular Phone
The most used devices for communications are statellite phines and cellular phones, which are wireless devices.
Theu seem to be alike, but they are not. The method used for cellular phones is cell based. This is the reason for what they are called cellurar phones. They are using a network area which is divided in small areas, and in each area is intalled an antenna. The antennas are called towers, and when one celullar phone is moving from a location to another this cellular keeps entering from one cell to another. Also, a signal is sent to the MTSO (Mobile Telephone Switching Office) when the cellular phone is movin from one countru to another, crossing borders. The MTSO database relocates the phone in a new cell or area using the help of the control channel . In this way is handles the cellular phones, using the MTSO and Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN).
The Satellite phones uses the Low Earth Orbiting (LEO) satellites, a different technology.
A signal goes up to the any number of satellites of a group with whom the phone is registered, with the very turning on of rhe satelllite phone. So, when a person is using the satellite phone and is paying a call, the signal goes directely to the near by orbiting satellite, and the satellite connects instantley to the gateway or the ground station. The gateway is taking the call to the destination and the call can be directed to the landline, cellular phone or a PSTN. By the other hand, any of PSTN, landlines or cell phone can call a satellite phone, and in the case in which the satellite phones the gateway takes care of calls, and not the cells as it is happening in the case of the cellular phones.
So, when a satellite phone calls another satellite phone, the call is made using a satellite, passing through a a ground station. After that, it goes up to the air. From the satellite, the call reaches the destination phone. Theese are the basics differences between the satellite phones and the cellulars phones.