Satcom Direct Adds Android App for GlobalVT Service

Pilots and passengers can now access Satcom Direct’s GlobalVT voice and texting app via Android mobile devices. The app, previously available only for iOS devices, allows users to make voice calls and send and receive text messages anywhere in the world via the Satcom Direct Router, while using the same phone number they already use with their mobile phone. According to Satcom Direct, it developed a special voice codec (encoder-decoder) to work well with satellite calls.

The Satcom Direct router works with all current satcom systems, including Ku- and L-band and the upcoming high-speed Ka-band, which begins service this year. Installation STCs “are available for most major airframes,” the company said. “Satcom Direct is the first to enable Android users to make and receive calls and texts in the air, worldwide, with their own number,” said founder and CEO Jim Jensen. “This is a significant accomplishment and we’re proud to have made it happen. Offering this kind of seamless connectivity is all part of our commitment to delivering the solutions that flight departments need."