Inmarsat has teamed up with top Philippines wireless operator Smart Communications as the telco looks to expand the reach of its satellite phone offering, Smart Link, the companies announced August 2.

Smart is a major force in the Philippines wireless market and has over 27 million GSM subscribers. The Philippines has an estimated population of more than 90 million.

The collaboration with Inmarsat involves a $5 million investment by Smart to set up a gateway facility and ground infrastructure in Subic, Zambales. It will result in an expanded coverage area for the Smart Link prepaid wireless satellite phone service that will initially include India, the Indian Ocean, the Middle East, Africa, and the Pacific Ocean. The Smart services will be carried on the Inmarsat-4 F1 satellite, which can support both voice call services and data connectivity.