China launched its first satellite mobile phone service yesterday, according to website chinaknowledge.com.

Satellite phones allow communication from almost any location, and the new Chinese model is said to be affordable and similar in size and weight to a typical mobile phone.

The chief of the China Transportation Telecommunication Center (CTTC), Yang Hongyi, said the new phone would provide the service through a portable terminal operated by the international marine satellite system.

The service is already available in Asia and much of Africa and after the launch of a third satellite in 2008, coverage will be global.

Other benefits of the new service include the flexibility to switch between normal GSM service in urban areas and the satellite service in remote locations.

The phone itself will cost between $2000 and $3000, certainly not cheap but still good value for this kind of technology and prices are expected to fall as demand grows.

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