The Global Mobile Satellite System (GMSS) consists of several satellite phone providers serving private customers. It can be compared to PLMN (wireless telephony carriers) and PSTN (traditional wire-based telephony).
As of 2023, ranges of numbers have been assigned to two GMSS carriers:
Iridium Satellite LLC Globalstar
In 1996, the ITU introduced country code +881 for direct international dialing of phones on GMSS providers. (Inmarsat had already been allocated country code +870.) The next digit following the country code is allocated (two at a time) to a particular GMSS carrier:ITU-T SG2 NCT: E.164 country code 881 plus two 1-digit ICs CarrierGMSS codesspare (formerly ICO)+881 0+881 1spare (formerly Ellipso)+881 2+881 3spare+881 4+881 5Iridium+881 6+881 7Globalstar+881 8+881 9
Satellite numbers outside the GMSS country code Inmarsat is a satellite-based communications provider, but it is primarily a maritime service and is not generally considered part of the GMSS.
Globalstar usually allocates subscribers with a local number in the country they are based rather than using their GMSS country code.
Iridium also uses an Arizona-based access number to call Iridium phones for those unwilling or unable to call the usually expensive GMSS number directly.
Thuraya has been assigned +882-16, within the +882 range for International Networks.
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