How can BSNL's ₹1.34 lakh phone make calls without mobile towers?

BSNL's satellite phone, priced at ₹1,34,166, can work in remote locations where conventional networks are unavailable. Such phones connect through either Low Earth Orbit (LEO) or Geosynchronous Earth Orbit (GEO) satellites. When a call is made, the signal travels from device to a satellite, which relays it to a ground station, which connects to public switched telephone network or internet.