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Satellite communication, Iridium, Inmarsat, Thuraya, Globalsat
Update 2.3 (November 2025) of the guide Get Weather Forecast with Satphone at Sea French version.
[ADDENDUM] After a long and bitter battle with Apple, the process of updating works has finally been corrected in iTunes Connect and the version 2.3 is finally available for download. However the version number is still not implemented (except on the pages of the book).
Reading the latest Starlink service conditions For the unlimited roaming package, it appears that the “Maritime” option (formerly “Priority Data”) is formalized for use beyond the coastal zone of 12 nautical miles. It can therefore still be activated as in the past for offshore use.. Read more …
Iridium published the 18 July 2025 an update 2.3.1 for the’Iridium GO!® who had gone unnoticed during the summer. This firmware update is however particularly important :
[Update 15 December 2025] The updates page has disappeared from the recently revamped Iridium site. But you can download it from my server by the modified link above.
Addition of management for Update the date and time correctly On the Iridium Go device! et l’application GO! When changing the Iridium era scheduled for January 2026. Read more …
Iridium has just announced the withdrown of the application and the service Iridium Mail & Web app in September 2025 !
We wanted to inform you that after more than a decade of service, l’application Iridium® Mail & Web will be put out of service 13 th 2025. We understand that this service has played a vital role by allowing end users to remain connected in distant places, And this decision was not taken lightly."
I presented in September 2023 (¹) the latest mobile communication device of the Iridium company : the GO! Exec®. Iridium has just announced the availability of its new social network application Chat App In Apple Store and Google Play. Read more …
The French satellite service provider Eutelsat has just announced on February 24 th that it has successfully completed the world's first test of connecting to the 5G non-terrestrial network using low-Earth orbit satellites (LEO) by OneWeb (¹).
This program not only addresses today's connectivity needs, but also lays the foundations for Europe's strategic autonomy in a digitalised world. ”
He said. Read more …
Update 2.2 (February 2025)
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Barely published my last post « Starlink Mini, a stone into the sea ” that SpaceX makes it obsolete by radical modification of its service offering. Playtime is over : now offshore boating with Starlink will require a big wallet. Read more …
Since the launch of Starlink in 2020, the hardware and service offerings were particularly versatile (¹). If the first recreational boaters were able to benefit from a navigation service far superior to the official conditions of use, it seemed obvious that this somewhat chaotic launch period would eventually be regularized, and offers stabilized. Despite still a strong disparity in equipment and subscription pricing from one continent to another, or even from one country to another, we are starting to see more clearly.
This is the case for France with the arrival of Starlink Mini. [Update of 11-12 th 2024] Read more …
Since the first launch in 2018 more than 6.600 satellites Starlink have been launched to date, of which almost 6.100 are operational (¹). Satellites have evolved technically, just as the infrastructure was gradually improved. They are launched in packets of 20 down to 23 at the rate of one SpaceX flight on average every ten days. However, the planned constellation of 34.396 satellites is still far from being achieved. Service coverage expands over time with the addition of new territories as requests for authorization from States are successfully completed. (²).
For more than four years, many boaters around the world have equipped their boat with an antenna/router kit by using the “Roaming” service. (ROAM in English) Who, with a particularly low cost, offers the possibility of maritime use off the coast thanks to an activated “Mobile Priority” option.
But everything is not as simple as that… Read more …