Twitter gets satellite support

Twitter has struck a deal with two large satellite operators to give subscribers the ability to publish in the most remote locations in Australia and around the world.

Iridium and Thuraya satellite subscribers will be able to use Twitter in situations where they lack access to 3G networks or phone lines.

In Australia, that means customers signed up under Telstra's Iridium service or Optus' Thuraya.

Twitter suggests it could be ideal to keep people informed from war zones or in a natural disaster where networks may not be available. 

The service operates in a similar fashion to SMS Twitter, which can be used via carrier short codes that support two way communications, or long codes that support one-way communication. 

In Australia, for example, the short code for SMS Twitter updates using Telstra is 0198089488, allowing the user to post a message to all their followers.

The short codes for Thuraya and Iridium are 1888 and 40404, respectively. 

While Twitter offers SMS short code support in many nations, including for example, Sudan and Tonga, the list does not include carriers from China, Iran or Singapore. 

Countries that support long codes include Britain, Germany and Finland, but not Australia.