A Guide In Buying Satellite Phones

| Saturday, April 23, 2011
By Jamie Barton


Quick Guide: Buying the Right Satellite Phone

The main difference of a satellite phone from the usual mobile phones is the source of its connection. These satellite phones use the satellites that orbit the earth and located up in the sky while ordinary mobile phones use connection from terrestrial cell locations. Because of its very unique system design it is possible to cover the whole world or cover a certain region depending on where it has been mapped to. Since it has a wider coverage, people prefer using satellite phones especially for certain regions that do not acknowledge the regular mobile phones and landlines. After all, satellite phones nowadays are very handy. This is how it works, regardless of where you are calling from or where you are calling to, the phone will get its connection directly from the satellite orbiting the earth. It is at times called the station and can come in different weights and sizes. So that it will be more handy, efforts have been exerted to make the newer satellite phones look more like a standard mobile phone. Although they look like the standard mobile phones, most of these satellite phones have external antenna that is retractable to make the phone reception clearer.

Background information of satellite phones

Satellite phones connect with other satellite phones, landlines, and mobile phones with the use of our satellites in the sky. These satellites used are not the same with the ones used in the land based stations mobile phone uses. If you find mobile phones and landlines useless when there is no signal these satellite phones will be very useful. These phones are also very essential for emergency situations and if landlines and mobile phones cannot function well due to problems in signal connection.

We have 3 service providers like the role of a Vodacom, Cell C, and MTN. Each provider has its own phones and connectivity.

? Iridium- a provider of satellite phones that has 66 satellites in orbit. It provides great coverage all over the whole earth. The phones that they have are being used by the US army and many other military and police worldwide in the battlefields. A very durable and rugged phone they recently presented is called the Iridium 9555. Some features are voice calling, SMS text messages, and data at dial up speeds that means faster downloading of information like your emails. ? Inmarsat- it can have a good coverage also except for the two poles with its 3 satellites up in the sky. The difference between Iridium and Inmarsat is that Iridium provides greater coverage while Inmarsat can be more price wise. The Isatphone Pro which is their latest phone has a very neat design and has voice calls and can send SMS text messaging. This phone is data capable but this feature is not yet available. This phone also has a Bluetooth app that can allow extra movement while you operate the phone.

? Thuraya- has an exclusive coverage for Northern Africa, Europe, the Middle East, Asia and Australia with its 2 satellites in the sky. Thuraya XT, its latest released phone can also provide voice calls, SMS text messaging, colored, and has a good price range.

Once you purchase a satellite phone, you will need a sim card with your own personal satellite number in order to access the network and make use of your satellite phones. A provider has its own different cost for airtime compared to other providers. Today, prepaid is the most popularly used. The Iridium has an additional African package that is cheaper compared to its normal Standard package. Some may ask why and it?s quite easy to explain. The African package is exclusive only inside Africa and Indian Ocean Islands unlike Standard package that can be used anywhere. Some accessories are included in the phone such as wall and car chargers and data cables. Solar chargers and docking stations are also some accessories but are optional to be included.

After being informed with all the necessary information, hopefully you can now make a decision. 1) Coverage- the location as to where you will be using your phone is important to know. If you need a global coverage then Iridium is best for you or you can have Isatphone Pro 2. 2) Mission critical- if the signal is very essential for you to have all the time then Iridium is best or you can have Isatphone Pro 3. 4) Price- if you are looking for a useful satellite phone with reasonable price then Isatphone Pro is for you. 5) Need data- for a data capable, either Iridium or Thuraya is an excellent choice. 6) Need GPS- for GPS, Isatphone Pro and Thuraya are best choices. 7) Phone- if the appearance to you matters the most and you want it to look like a mobile phone then not to worry. Choose either Isatphone Pro or Thuraya. If you want a rugged and durable phone, Iridium is best.




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