Traveling to Russia? Vital Information You Need to Know to Stay Connected

Iridium and the Russian regulatory authorities have reached an agreement to allow Iridium to legally operate in Russia. There has always been Iridium traffic in Russia but it was never officially allowed or forbidden. The Russian Government wants to regulate this grey market and specifically wants to be able to intercept Iridium calls from Russia to other countries in an effort to fight terrorism. So what does this mean for travelers looking to stay connected while in Russia?

Travelers wanting to use their Iridium satellite phone within Russia must register their SIM card or Iridium SBD Device with Iridium Russia. Registration information is provided for compliance with Russian telecommunications regulatory requirements. Iridium Russia will use and disclose registration information only to meet its obligations under Russian law. An Iridium device can be registered by subscribers for a 6-month period. For service requirements of longer than 6 months, a subscriber should change SIM cards and re-register.

To register, you will need to provide the information below on the registration page of this site.

• Full name
• Nationality
• MSISDN
• Iridium
• Device Model (9555, 9575 etc)
• IMEI

A website owned and operated by Iridium Russia has been created for registering subscribers. If you plan on traveling to Russia with your Iridium device start by going to www.iridiumrussia.com
We recommend to any of our clients operating in Russia to register their SIMs through iridium-russia.com as visiting SIMs and to re-register every 6 months just to be safe.

If you have any questions or concerns please contact GMPCS at 1-888-664-6272 or contact@gmpcs-us.com

How do satellite phones work?

We are all familiar with the convenience of mobile phones and landlines to make a phone call. And it certainly seems that they work almost anywhere in the world. However there are certain areas or circumstances were this convenient service is not available. That is when a satellite phone is the only method of communication.

Unlike mobile phones which use a localized phone tower to connect calls; a call from a satellite phone is sent through a satellite constellation, then sent back to Earth via the nearest satellite gateway. Then the call is routed through traditional voice networks to reach its destination.

A call that is made from one satellite phone to another will be completely routed through the satellite constellations. This way the call will not be affected by any technical difficulties on the ground. This is why satellite phones are essential for communications during a disaster such as a hurricane, earthquake or winter storm where landline communications can be destroyed.

Satellite phones rely on a direct line of sight to the satellite constellation. To use a satellite phone properly you will need a clear view of the sky, so it is important to ensure that the phone signal is not obstructed by trees, mountains, buildings or other large structures.

To choose the right satellite phone, you may want to consider the type of satellite constellation that is used. Iridium and Globalstar use a LEO (low earth orbiting) constellation. This style of satellite constellation covers the entire globe including the Polar Regions. A LEO satellite is also moving quickly from horizon to horizon, so there is the possibility of a dropped call when it is being transferred to the next satellite. Companies like Inmarsat and Thuraya use a geostationary satellite constellation. These satellites move with the Earth’s rotation, so from our prospective on the ground the satellite doesn’t appear to be moving. These satellites are in a higher orbit so you may notice latency or delay with the call, but there is a slim chance that the call would be dropped.

For more information on the different satellite phones available and their style of handsets view our previous comparison blog here.