Consumer Satphones, Seeking Growth, May Become Pricier, NSR Says

The consumer handheld satellite phone market will likely raise equipment prices or boost average revenue per user as major players look to compete with the land-mobile market, said Northern Sky Research Research Director Claude Rousseau in a NSR blog post Wednesday. He said the consumer handheld market -- targeting outdoors enthusiasts, remote workers and emergency services -- is expected to exceed 1 million in-service units by 2026. By trying to expand into new markets, the equipment will have to add features that will add to the expense, NSR said. It said Globalstar still dominates the consumer handheld market with its Spot products, and it -- plus Iridium's InReach and Thuraya SatSleeve -- could reach the 1 million mark.