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Press Release
Iridium’s new global roaming service "Metro"
1999.04.12Enables roaming in over 100 cities across the globe on small and inexpensive handsets the size of a cell phone
Lowers the activation and subscriber fees to 80,000 won and 25,000 won, respectively
SK Telecom providing the world’s first global mobile satellite communication service Iridium in Korea said on April 12 that it is introducing new international roaming service "Metro". Metro will allow roaming in over 100 cities all over the world on a cellular handset if the user has an Iridium number.
With the debut of the new service, the company said it would lower the Iridium monthly subscriber fee from 75,000 to 25,000 won, and the service activation fee from 150,000 to 80,000 won (the same rates apply to Metro service).
Metro service subscribers will be freed from the inconveniences of signing up for roaming services and getting a new handset and user number every time they travel abroad as the new service allows them to enjoy seamless international roaming in over 100 cities across the world via the cellular and Iridium networks, using their Iridium handsets and numbers.
The new service will be available only on the handsets certified by Iridium LLC. Certified handset models include Motorola CDMA/AMPS 7760 and GSM 130, Samsung GSMSCH 600, and Nokia TDMA/AMPS 6161. SK Telecom said, "Business people traveling all over the world are Iridium’s major customers. Since they travel and communicate around large cities that are well-connected with mobile service networks, we thought that they would want handsets that cost less but easier to carry than the existing satellite phones. That’s how we came up with the idea for Metro." It added, "The new service will allow users to choose an Iridium service that is most appropriate depending on the situation among the Iridium phone service, Metro and satellite paging service."
The company said that since Metro service subscribers can rent the handset at the rate of 10,000 won a day, it is economical to use Metro service for international roaming when they are in the cities and shift to satellite rental service when they travel places where there is no cellular access such as deserts or the polar regions.
Iridium LLC signed a three-year supply contract worth 219 million dollars with U.S. Defense Department on April 2. The global consortium is also known to be supplying satellite phones and pagers for Iridium services to members of the press and volunteer organizations providing medical service in the Kosovo region in Yugoslavia.
With the debut of the new service, the company said it would lower the Iridium monthly subscriber fee from 75,000 to 25,000 won, and the service activation fee from 150,000 to 80,000 won (the same rates apply to Metro service).
Metro service subscribers will be freed from the inconveniences of signing up for roaming services and getting a new handset and user number every time they travel abroad as the new service allows them to enjoy seamless international roaming in over 100 cities across the world via the cellular and Iridium networks, using their Iridium handsets and numbers.
The new service will be available only on the handsets certified by Iridium LLC. Certified handset models include Motorola CDMA/AMPS 7760 and GSM 130, Samsung GSMSCH 600, and Nokia TDMA/AMPS 6161. SK Telecom said, "Business people traveling all over the world are Iridium’s major customers. Since they travel and communicate around large cities that are well-connected with mobile service networks, we thought that they would want handsets that cost less but easier to carry than the existing satellite phones. That’s how we came up with the idea for Metro." It added, "The new service will allow users to choose an Iridium service that is most appropriate depending on the situation among the Iridium phone service, Metro and satellite paging service."
The company said that since Metro service subscribers can rent the handset at the rate of 10,000 won a day, it is economical to use Metro service for international roaming when they are in the cities and shift to satellite rental service when they travel places where there is no cellular access such as deserts or the polar regions.
Iridium LLC signed a three-year supply contract worth 219 million dollars with U.S. Defense Department on April 2. The global consortium is also known to be supplying satellite phones and pagers for Iridium services to members of the press and volunteer organizations providing medical service in the Kosovo region in Yugoslavia.