The ICO system for personal communications by satellite

The ICO is a satellite-based mobile communications system designed primarily to provide services to handheld phones. The system will offer digital voice, data, facsimile, and a suite of messaging services anywhere in the intended environments world-wide. The system design integrates mobile satellite communications capability with terrestrial networks and employs, among others, handheld mobile telephones which offer services similar to normal cellular phones, in outdoor environments. It will route calls from terrestrial networks through ground stations (called satellite access nodes or “SANs”) which will select a satellite through which the call will be connected. Calls from a mobile terminal will be routed via the satellite constellation to the appropriate fixed or mobile networks or to another mobile satellite terminal. Handsets will be produced by major manufacturers of telecommunications equipment, benefiting from terrestrial cellular/PCS technology. Single-mode satellite-only versions will be available, but most are expected to be capable of dual-mode operation with both satellite and terrestrial cellular/PCS systems