Thuraya reports huge demand for its cutting-edge terminal
Dubai, UAE Nov. 19, 2006 – Just months after Thuraya officially released its second-generation terminal Thuraya SO-2510, a huge surge in demand for the handset is being reported.
More than 28,000 units of SO-2510, the lightest and smallest in the industry, have already been sold and Thuraya expects another 30,000 to be sold by the end of the year.
“The GEN-II has reenergised the distribution chain, creating a strong product appeal reflected in several large-order deals,” said CEO Yousuf Al Sayed. And with accessories already available, Thuraya expects the demand to grow further. The commercial launch of the SG-2520 smart phone, which is currently under final testing, is also planned for this quarter.
In all, Thuraya expects to sell at least 90,000 units of SO-2510 in 12 to 15 months and 70,000 units of SG-2520 in a year.
The SO is for people working in areas where GSM services are not available while the SG is for those who need a phone that combines both satellite and GSM features.
At a mere 130 grams, the SO-2510 is the world’s lightest and smallest satellite phone. It is loaded with features such as GPS, GPRS, a high-resolution colour screen, enhanced memory, polyphonic ringtones, USB connectivity and multi-language support. With its easy-to-navigate GSM-like menu, the handset offers a wide range of services including voice, data, fax and short messaging.
Using the phone’s GPRS capability, data can be downloaded at speeds of up to 60Kbps and uploaded at 15Kbps.
At 170 grams, the SG-2520 is the only satellite tri-band phone that provides connectivity on GSM mode in all five continents. It has all the features of the SO-2510 plus a built-in camera and advanced streaming media capability.
It is enriched with GSM 900, 1800 and 1900 MHz capabilities, runs on Windows-based operating system and supports Java. It also supports more than 10 languages and combines all the smart features that come in today’s high-tech phones.
Thuraya will also release its new compact modem, known as ThurayaModule, this year. It opens the door for third-party manufacturers to develop new products using the modem.