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6
Season Six Research Files
Episode Thirteen
6:00pm - 7:00pm
A satellite telephone is a mobile phone that uses orbiting communications satellites for transmission. Coverage usually includes the entire Earth, and is useful in remote areas where terrestrial cell service is unavailable.
The communications satellites are in either geostationary or low Earth orbits (LEO). Geostationary satellites are usually fixed in three or four areas. Since they are so far away, the phone would need to be bigger and require a large antenna for reception. LEO satellites travel in complete orbits around the earth at high speeds and low altitudes. Yet all satellite phones need a clear view of the sky.
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