Imagine making a phone call from a remote mountain, offshore installation or disaster-hit region where mobile towers are unavailable or damaged.

That is what BSNL’s satellite phone service is designed to enable.

BSNL advertised the handset on July 9 at ₹1,34,166, including taxes.

The device shown appears to be Inmarsat’s IsatPhone 2, although BSNL has not formally confirmed the model name.

It is a rugged satellite handset built for specialised communication rather than everyday smartphone use.