Many people are dazed and confused when you start talking about satellite phones and there are numerous reasons for it, there are so many different kinds, brands, models, service plans, providers, and even coverage areas. Seems that you almost need a PhD of some form to select the best satellite phone for your needs, and most people just do not have that much time to devote to selecting a simple phone. Even worse, when you are talking directly to a customer service or sales department you are sometimes only getting half truths, and a full dose of sales pitch. This leaves consumers all around the world wading through all of the endless dribble to decide what is really needed and necessary for themselves.
Your first step before really diving into purchasing a satellite phone is going to be comparing companies. You need to really carefully consider where you want to go, and ensure that the coverage area offered by the companies you are considering can handle your potential destinations. For example, if you plan to travel extensively to Europe, Asia, the United States and the Caribbean Islands
it would be unwise to select a phone that only works in Europe. This would require you to purchase multiple phones to handle your needs, and ultimately is much more expensive. It is best to determine where you want to go, then start looking for carriers who offer the coverage area you need.
Once you have started narrowing down the field it is time to get into the nitty gritty of selecting a carrier based upon price. This can help you further narrow down your choices and options because you can quickly start eliminating places. Now depending upon how often you are looking into using your phone there are several things to look into. For example, a company called GlobalCom offers an unlimited plan in your home area. This means if you are planning to use your satellite phone extensively from your home country you could come out great with a deal like this, their rates start at only $49.99 a month, and decrease each year you have the service down to as little as $19.99 after just a few short years.
If you are looking for something that instead offers cheap rates no matter where you use the phone then be prepared to start doing some research. There are several calling rates that are applicable, and most have different terms associated with each. There are charges that are for calling landline phones, charges for calling cellular phones, charges for calling satellite phones from the same carrier, and then charges for calling satellite phones from another carrier. If you select the wrong plan, you could easily be looking at a $500 phone bill each month. Many of the rates range from as low as $1 per minute, to as much as $15 per minute. Notice there is a huge difference and that difference can be huge when the final bill is tallied.Another consideration that is very important is looking at whether you should rent or purchase the phone. If you are considering renting a satellite phone
then you are looking at rates of anywhere from $19.00 per day for short-term rentals to as little as $7 per day for long term rentals. A very important note is when you are renting the phone it generally does not include the airtime, which means you are going to be paying more than just the daily rental fee. Companies such as GlobalStar, GlobalCom, Telestial, and even Iridium and Inmarsat offer phones that you can rent. Alternatively, you can look into purchasing a phone, however the charges are much higher up front, for a refurbished satellite phone from Iridium you are typically looking at a price of $699 and on higher with only 90-day warranties. If you want a new model, you are looking at prices closer to $1,595, which is the price, charged for the Iridium 9505a satellite phone.
If you are looking at a data plan, you can figure getting a slow 9.6kbps speeds. The good news is that renting a data kit for the satellite phones is generally only $1 additional a day. However, if you are looking at purchasing a phone and paying for a subscription data service you are looking at along the lines somewhere between free and as much as $10 additional a month. You can also expect to pay an activation fee of around $50 for each line. Most satellite phone companies also require you to pay a monthly subscription fee as well as the charges for each minute of usage.
Looking for reliable and clear signals will often lead you to look closely at GlobalStar as a heavy contender. With reliable service as well as affordable rates, they are one of the best providers that is available and usually have plenty of phones to choose from. However, be aware that satellite phones are not made with all of the features that cellular phones are. You are highly unlikely to find a satellite phone with a MP3 player
, or even a video player included. As long as you are aware of the differences before you go phone shopping you will not be disappointed. In terms of safety and reliability there is nothing better than having a great satellite phone to take with you everywhere you go...more about Satellite Phone Rental
Another consideration that is very important is looking at whether you should rent or purchase the phone. If you are considering renting a satellite phone
then you are looking at rates of anywhere from $19.00 per day for short-term rentals to as little as $7 per day for long term rentals. A very important note is when you are renting the phone it generally does not include the airtime, which means you are going to be paying more than just the daily rental fee. Companies such as GlobalStar, GlobalCom, Telestial, and even Iridium and Inmarsat offer phones that you can rent. Alternatively, you can look into purchasing a phone, however the charges are much higher up front, for a refurbished satellite phone from Iridium you are typically looking at a price of $699 and on higher with only 90-day warranties. If you want a new model, you are looking at prices closer to $1,595, which is the price, charged for the Iridium 9505a satellite phone.
If you are looking at a data plan, you can figure getting a slow 9.6kbps speeds. The good news is that renting a data kit for the satellite phones is generally only $1 additional a day. However, if you are looking at purchasing a phone and paying for a subscription data service you are looking at along the lines somewhere between free and as much as $10 additional a month. You can also expect to pay an activation fee of around $50 for each line. Most satellite phone companies also require you to pay a monthly subscription fee as well as the charges for each minute of usage.
Looking for reliable and clear signals will often lead you to look closely at GlobalStar as a heavy contender. With reliable service as well as affordable rates, they are one of the best providers that is available and usually have plenty of phones to choose from. However, be aware that satellite phones are not made with all of the features that cellular phones are. You are highly unlikely to find a satellite phone with a MP3 player
, or even a video player included. As long as you are aware of the differences before you go phone shopping you will not be disappointed. In terms of safety and reliability there is nothing better than having a great satellite phone to take with you everywhere you go...more about Satellite Phone Rental
Thanks for this - it's a well written post. However, you've duplicated a bit of content near the bottom.
In my experience, Globalstar is unreliable and Iridium is a much better satellite network to use. Also, Iridium gives you global coverage rather than regional.
LinkBack URL
About LinkBacks
Reply With Quote
