AirCell Taps Iridium Satellite Network

Broomfield, Colo.-based AirCell has introduced two new airborne telecommunications products based on Iridium satcom technology. The first, the AST 3500, combines an air-to-ground cellphone with an Iridium satellite receiver and antenna, while the second, the ST 3100, relies exclusively on the Iridium link. Deliveries of the new products, said AirCell, are scheduled to begin next month. The $26,995 AST 3500 consists of a remote transceiver unit, cellular and Iridium antennas and as many as nine handsets per installation. The ST 3100, priced at $19,995, includes the Iridium-based transceiver, patch-style Iridium antenna and two flush-mount handsets. Both systems are designed for retrofit with most AirCell installations, said the company. Iridium’s satellite network covers the entire planet with low-cost voice and data service, while the AirCell cellular network covers most major IFR routes in the continental U.S.