News

GSM plus GPS for "rescue phone" - Sarantel antenna used

A new GPS-based secure phone with a "rescue button" will use a Sarantel global positioning system (GPS) antenna. The phone will be built by Precisa, which is a Swiss company specialising in wireless technologies and measuring instruments.

It has integrated Sarantel's GeoHelix GPS antenna into the Secufone, a mobile phone with a personal alarm and service button. The Secufone is aimed at a cross-section of the community including care associations, nursing homes, the elderly and the infirm.

With its GPS/GSM functionality and personal alarm system, the Secufone is a tri-band mobile phone.

By pressing the red alarm button, users of the Secufone are connected to an associated call-centre. A hands-free speech connection is then available so the user can explain their situation; the call-centre can take the appropriate action to arrange assistance. The Sarantel antenna enables the call centre to pinpoint the user to within 5 metres of their location.

The Secufone has an interactive full colour screen, which can be easily operated with the very light touch of a finger, plus it only uses four large buttons. Produced in Switzerland, the Secufone will be available for sale in Europe and the US from August 2004 in leading telecoms shops.

Secufone opted for the Sarantel antenna "because of its unparalleled performance and accurate positioning."

Precisa's CEO Rudolf Huber said: "The GPS functionality of the Secufone, is a key feature of the mobile phone. The Sarantel antenna offers excellent GPS reception in difficult and harsh environments and is the only GPS antenna on the market we found that integrated with a GSM mobile phone without loss of performance."

David Wither, Chief Executive at Sarantel said: "There is huge potential for GPS in GSM mobile products and this is why we are seeing extraordinarily high demand for our products at the moment."

You can visit Sarantel's web site for further information.