The Iridium problem that plagued Motorola 9500 users and others has been fixed, and those of us with 9500 phones can use them for e-mail again. According to Luis Soltero, president of Global Marine Networks (http://www.globalmarinenet.com/), the problem stemmed from a major upgrade to the Iridium satellite switch. "The upgrade was big ... the switch that was replaced had been in services since day one and had run out of capacity," Soltero said in an e-mail. "Iridium had to upgrade it to deal with the increase traffic it has seen. It doesn't surprise me that users where having problems. There were many repercussions to the upgrade breaking the 9500 only being one of them." Marine electronics guru Ben Ellison, owner and operator of the popular Panbo marine electronics blog (http://www.panbo.com) found irony the timing of Iridium's press release below. Me too. But if you're an Iridium sat phone user, getting out the phone and testing it is a good idea in the wake of the big Iridium problem. --Milt Baker, Nordhavn Bluewater, Fort Lauderdale IRIDIUM ANNOUNCES bTEST YOUR SATELLITE PHONEb WEEK Annual Reminder Coincides with U.S. National Hurricane Preparedness Week, May 23-29 MCLEAN, Va. b May 24, 2010 b Iridium Communications Inc. (Nasdaq: IRDM), the worldbs only provider of truly global mobile satellite communications, announces the launch of its fourth annual bTest Your Satellite Phoneb (TYSP) Week initiative, reminding users to make sure their satellite phones are ready to deploy at a momentbs notice when natural or manmade disasters strike. bFirst responders, emergency relief and recovery workers, and organizations with international operations depend on Iridium satellite phones for vital communications in the aftermath of disasters because we offer reliable, global service in an easy-to-use and extremely mobile handset,b said Don Thoma, executive vice president, marketing, for Iridium. bThatbs why we take this opportunity each year to encourage our customers to check out their satellite phones, to ensure batteries are fully charged and phones are working properly, and to review operating procedures for making and receiving satellite calls.b bIf youbve been deployed to respond to a disaster and you discover your battery is depleted or you canbt remember dialing procedures, your mission can be seriously hampered,b added Thoma. bIt sounds straightforward, but we hear from users all the time that, in the heat of the moment, they simply forgot to test their phone, which is why we launched Test Your Satellite Phone Week four years ago,b added Thoma. Iridium subscribers can call a toll-free number (00-1-480-752-5105) on any satellite phone to verify proper operation. Callers will hear a recorded voice message confirming they completed the call successfully and offering refresher tips for using the phones. bInternational enterprises, such as hotel chains, air carriers, shipping companies, hospitals and financial institutions, as well as other non-governmental organizations, are increasingly aware of the importance of mobile satellite phones in business continuity and recovery plans,b said Ted Brown, President and CEO, KETCHConsulting. bRegular tests of mission-critical communications equipment, such as satellite phones, are an important part of every organizationbs emergency preparedness planning.b bWe applaud Iridiumbs public service effort to ensure that first responders and relief workers are fully prepared to roll into action when called into action,b said APCO International President Richard Mirgon. bExperience has shown that phone lines, Internet connections and wireless cellular networks are often destroyed or damaged, or just cannot handle the enormous surge in traffic following a natural or manmade disaster, and satellite phones become the only lifeline to the outside world.b For more information on Iridiumbs TYSP initiative, visit www.testyoursatellitephone.com. Media are welcome to download and publish a Test Your Satellite Phone Week public service announcement (PSA) from this site. In addition, tips and techniques available for satellite phone use and testing are included, such as: B7 Test your phone monthly. B7 Keep the battery charged. For optimal performance, completely discharge before fully charging. B7 Ensure SIM card is locked in place. Remove the battery to check if the tray is securely positioned and locked. B7 Protect the phonebs antenna. Stow the antenna in the bdown positionb when not in use. B7 Call outside with a clear view. Avoid obstructions to the sky and the horizon such as buildings and trees.