The world's first portable telephone calls and pages made on the exciting new Iridium satellite network will be made using Motorola products. The low-earth orbiting satellite system which promises consumers the capability for the first time to make or receive a phone call and receive messages in most places in the world where there is a clear view of the sky, is scheduled to begin service later this year.
"Motorola was there for the first audio transmissions from the
astronauts on the moon and we will be there first to enable our
customers to receive a call or a page virtually anywhere on Earth,"
said Fred Kuznik, President of Motorola's Personal Communications
Sector and Motorola Executive Vice President.
The Satellite Series 9500 Portable Telephone and the Satellite
Series 9501 Pager are specifically designed for use for on the Iridium
system. Both products, in addition to a wide range of special features
designed for traveling professionals and industrial users, will
support worldwide roaming and will permit users to make phone calls
and receive messages via satellite or existing cellular technologies.
Together, these complementary products will optimize and extend voice
and messaging capabilities to the four corners of the Earth.
Satellite Series 9500 Portable Telephone is the world's first
truly "global phone"
The Motorola Satellite Series 9500 Portable Telephone will offer
a complete set of features, services, and packaging that today's
demanding market segments require. The same phone functions as a
satellite only telephone or with the optional Cellular Cassettes, as a
dual-mode phone. In addition to a graphic LCD display, 32-digit number
capacity, illuminated holographic display, multiple language choices
for prompts and 10 selectable ringer tones, the Satellite Series 9500
Portable phone will provide something no other phone in the world has
ever done — compatibility with multiple technology standards
throughout the world.
A variety of optional Cellular Cassettes can be interchanged in
the phone to make transitioning between satellite and terrestrial
cellular networks easy. For example, a traveler will be able to use
the same Satellite Series 9500 phone in both the United States and any
country in Europe.
"This is the first time in history that a wireless phone will
have so many spectrum options," said Kuznik. "Never before has there
been a phone or a pager that gives customers so much freedom to
communicate."
Satellite Series 9501 Pager is the world's first truly "global pager"
Like its companion portable telephone, the Motorola Satellite
Series 9501 Pager will allow consumers to be "in touch" from even some
of the most remote places on Earth. Distinctively designed for maximum
wearability, the one-way pager also boasts unique satellite system
features and friendly operation to provide users an unprecedented
level of freedom to receive communications/messages. For extraordinary
clarity it features Motorola's exclusive Optimax(TM) EL Electra Light
Display with a four-line alphanumeric display that can provide up to
80 characters and will support a wide variety of global languages.
In the unlikely event that any messages are missed, an indicator
will notify the user that an incoming message was missed for retrieval
later.
Both Phone and Pager are Designed for Discriminating Business
Travelers and Industrial Users
In addition to the extraordinary global coverage, Motorola's
Satellite Series Products will make world traveling a breeze. Such
features include new user friendly options like a dual time display
which will note either the time of the home country or the time in the
area in which the traveler is currently in. The user interface will
remain consistent across Cellular Cassette technologies. In addition,
the pager will be equipped with a built-in alarm clock for one time or
daily alarms and even a "quiet time" option that allows the user to
select a time period for when the pager will continue to perform its
functions without auditory or vibration notifications.
Both phone and pager will be sold separately, as well as,
together. Together they will combine into an extraordinarily flexible,
cost effective tool to ensure worldwide communication.
Travelers will also be pleased to find that a phone that promises
so much in coverage sacrifices nothing in operation. Weighing less
than 454 grams (16 ounces) with standard battery, the Satellite Series
9500 Portable Telephone will provide up to 5.5 hours of continuous
talk time or two days of standby with an optional ultra high capacity
battery.
In addition, Motorola has also built in some of its most popular
innovations from its other phones like VibraCall(TM) alert to gently
and quietly signal an incoming call. And, one-touch dialing to
automatically dial important numbers.
The Satellite Series 9501 Pager, weighing 4.16 ounces, will also
assist global travelers and industrial users with a wealth of features
specifically designed for the Iridium satellite system. A large
storage capacity – up to 99 messages is augmented with easy to use
folders for personal message and information service message storage.
In addition, a phone directory links numeric pages to display stored
information.
