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LEO telephones utilizes LEO (low Earth orbit) satellite technology. The advantages include providing worldwide wireless coverage with no gaps. Newer satellite phones tend to be LEOs. LEO satellites orbit the earth at high speed, low altitude orbits with an orbital time of 70–90 minutes, an altitude of 640 to 1120 kilometres (400 to 700 miles), and provide coverage cells. Since the satellites are not geosynchronous, they must fly complete orbits and thus further guarantee complete coverage over every area by at least one satellite at all times. Blimps are being considered as an alternative to satellites.
The two deployed LEO satellite systems are Iridium and Globalstar. Customer numbers for both systems never matched the levels required to fund the large number of satellite launch costs, and both went into bankruptcy. They are now operated by new owners who bought the assets for a fraction of their original cost.
There are several models of satellite phones available.
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