Ericsson's satellite phone

Ericsson's satellite phone

JAKARTA (JP): Cellular phone company PT Ericsson Indonesia
launched its R190 satellite phone on Monday to be used with PT
Pasifik Satelit Nusantara (PSN)'s Byru network, a satellite
service for the GSM network.

Claimed to be the world's smallest and lightest satellite
phone, the Ericsson R190 can operate in satellite and GSM-900
modes.

The company's director for consumer products, Susanto Sosilo,
said that once out of cellular networks, the phone can
automatically switch to satellite mode to send or receive calls.

The Byru network covers an area of 11 million square miles in
the Asia Pacific region, covering 24 countries.

"There will be no more blank spots over the Asia-Pacific
region," Susanto said.

During the launching ceremony, Ericsson and PSN presented the
National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) with three Ericsson
R190s, worth between Rp 8 million to Rp 9 million (US$1,059), and
Byru subscriber identity module (SIM) cards. (10)