Globalstar Satellite Phones
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Globalstar Satellite Phones
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Globalstar runs a low-earth-orbit constellation that carries satellite voice and data across North America, parts of South America, Europe, Australia and stretches of coastal water. It is a genuinely useful network inside its footprint and a frustrating one outside it. That single fact is the whole story of buying a Globalstar phone.
This page explains how Globalstar works, exactly where it does and does not reach, and how it compares with Iridium on the things that decide a purchase.
The short answer
If your work stays inside the United States, Canada or Europe and you want the least expensive way to have a satellite handset in the truck, Globalstar does the job. If you will ever cross an ocean, work above the Arctic Circle, or need the phone to work in a place you have not planned for yet, buy an Iridium handset instead, because then there is no coverage map to memorise.
How the Globalstar network works
Bent-pipe architecture
A Globalstar satellite does not route your call onward through space. It relays straight back down to a ground gateway, which means the satellite has to see both your handset and a gateway at the same moment. That is why coverage follows the gateways rather than blanketing the globe.
Duplex voice and simplex trackers
Globalstar sells two different things that get confused constantly. Duplex products, such as the GSP-1700 handset, are two-way phones. Simplex products, including the SPOT trackers, only transmit: they send a position or a preset message and cannot receive a call or a reply.
Where the gaps are
No polar coverage, and large mid-ocean gaps where no gateway is in view. Central Africa, much of Asia and the deep Pacific and Atlantic sit outside the duplex footprint. Coverage inside the footprint is good; outside it, the phone does not connect at all.
The comparison that decides it
Globalstar compared with Iridium
Both are low-earth-orbit networks, so people assume they are interchangeable. The difference is what happens between the satellites.
Swipe the table sideways to see every column.
| Globalstar | Iridium | |
|---|---|---|
| Coverage | Regional. North America, parts of South America, Europe, Australia and nearby waters | 100% of the Earth, including both poles and mid-ocean |
| How calls are routed | The satellite relays down to a ground gateway in view | Satellite-to-satellite cross-links, no gateway needed in view |
| Works mid-ocean | Only near covered coastlines | Yes, anywhere |
| Works in polar regions | No | Yes |
| Voice quality inside coverage | Good, low latency | Good, low latency |
| Dedicated SOS button | Not on the handset. SOS sits in the separate SPOT line | Yes, on the Extreme 9575 |
| Typical cost | Lower hardware and airtime cost | Higher, and you are paying for the coverage |
| Best for | Domestic backcountry work inside the footprint | Anything international, maritime, polar or unplanned |
Our recommendation
If in doubt, buy Iridium
Every Iridium handset works everywhere a Globalstar phone works, plus the oceans and the poles it does not. If you were shopping Globalstar for domestic use, the 9555 is the closest equivalent. If the phone is going somewhere hard, take the Extreme. And if budget is what drew you to Globalstar in the first place, the IsatPhone 2 is worth a look before you decide.
Globalstar questions, answered
Direct answer first in every case.
Where does a Globalstar phone actually work?
Across North America, parts of South America, Europe, Australia and the coastal waters around them. It does not work mid-ocean or in polar regions, because a Globalstar satellite has to see both your handset and a ground gateway at the same moment in order to connect your call. Inside the footprint the service is good; outside it, the phone simply does not connect.
Is SPOT the same as a Globalstar satellite phone?
No, and this is the most common confusion on this network. SPOT devices are simplex, meaning they only transmit. They can send your position or a preset message, but they cannot receive a call, a text or a reply. A Globalstar phone such as the GSP-1700 is duplex, which means a real two-way conversation.
Globalstar or Iridium for hunting and backcountry use?
If you hunt the same country every year and it is inside Globalstar's footprint, Globalstar is the cheaper way to carry a satellite phone. If you travel to hunt, or you want one phone that works on every trip you will ever take, choose Iridium. The recurring theme with Globalstar is that it is excellent until the day you go somewhere it does not reach.
Can I use a Globalstar phone on a boat?
Close to a covered coastline, yes. Offshore, no. Globalstar's coverage extends only as far out as a satellite can still see a ground gateway, so it thins out quickly once you leave the coast and disappears entirely on an ocean passage. For any offshore work, Iridium or Inmarsat are the only sensible choices.
Does a Globalstar phone have an SOS button?
The GSP-1700 handset does not have a dedicated SOS button in the way the Iridium Extreme does. Globalstar's SOS functionality sits in its SPOT product line, which is separate hardware. If a one-press emergency alert matters to you, that points towards an Iridium Extreme rather than a Globalstar handset.
Why is Globalstar cheaper?
Because the network is simpler and smaller. Bent-pipe satellites without cross-links cost far less to build and operate than a cross-linked constellation, and the coverage you get reflects that. You are not paying for the oceans and the poles, so you are not being served the oceans and the poles.
Globalstar guides in our help center
Step-by-step guides, manuals and video walkthroughs
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