IRIDIUM SYSTEM BLOCKED IN CHINA

IF YOUR PERSONAL COMMUNICATION SET UP FOR TIBET OR XINJIANG INVOLVES ANY SYSTEM RELIANT ON IRIDIUM, THINK AGAIN. THIS MEANS IRIDIUM SETS OBVIOUSLY, BUT ALSO GARMIN PRODUCTS, INCLUDING THE inREACH DEVICES, AND ZOLEO DEVICES. THE iPHONE 14 APPARENTLY WON’T BE AFFECTED AS YET.

DUE TO THE TRADE WAR BETWEEN THE US AND CHINA, AMONG OTHER THINGS THEY HAVE ADDED CHINA TO THE BLACKLIST THAT ALSO INCLUDES THE USUAL SUSPECTS LIKE IRAN, NORTH KOREA AND CUBA AND STRANGELY, INDIA (BUT INTERESTINGLY NOT RUSSIA….). THIS MEANS IF YOUR BEACON OR ALERT DEVICE USES IRIDIUM IT WON’T WORK WHICH IS A MAJOR PLANNING ELEMENT IN ANY TRIP. THOUGH FULL SAT PHONES HAVE BEEN OUTLAWED IN CHINA FOR DECADES, PINGING AND ALERT SYSTEMS HAVE GOT BY IN A SORT OF GREY AREA.

THE GOOD NEWS IS, CELL COVERAGE HAS USUALLY BEEN BETTER IN CHINA ANYWAY OTHER THAN FOR THE REMOTEST OF REMOTE PLACES, ALSO HUAWEI ALREADY HAS IT’S OWN SYSTEM THAT LINKS TO IT’S LATEST PHONES FOR SOS ALERTS. INMARSAT WILL STILL BE AS IFFY AS ALWAYS, AND THE THURAYA SATSLEEVE IS STILL EXPECTED TO BE OK BUT IN THE GREY AREA FOR USE.

WE HAVE DISCUSSED THIS WITH GLOBAL RESCUE WHO CONFIRM IT DOESN’T AFFECT THEIR OPERATIONS, ONLY THAT CLIMBERS WILL NEED ANOTHER WAY TO ALERT THEM.