Sunday, April 24, 2011

Suitable Satellite Phone

By Bettie Rochon


Quick Guide: Buying the Right Satellite Phone

Is it so stressful to think of what right and best satellite phone suites you? Then be stress free with our handy Buyer?s Guide.

Knowing more about satellite phones

From the word itself, satellite phones utilize satellites to connect with other satellite phones, landlines, and mobile phones. Land based stations used by mobile phones is not the same with what is used by the satellite phones. Wherever place you are and mobile phones and landlines have no signal, then these satellite phones are best used. These satellite phones are very useful in emergency situations especially when landlines and mobile phones cannot function due to a jammed signal.

Just like Vodacom, Cell C, and MTN, satellite phones also have 3 service providers that have its own phones and connectivity.

? Iridium- this service provider has about 66 satellites up in the sky providing a very huge coverage all over the world. It is very useful especially in battlefields where US army and many other military and police worldwide used. They have their latest phone called the Iridium 9555. It?s so durable and has lots of features like voice calling, SMS text messages, and its data is at dial up speeds making downloading faster. ? Inmarsat- it has 3 satellites providing good coverage except for the two poles. The Iridium may have a wider coverage but the Inmarsat is more affordable. They also have a latest phone called Isatphone Pro. It can provide voice and SMS text messaging and has a very neat design. Although it is data capable, it is not yet made available. It has Bluetooth app that allows adjustability while operating the phone.

? Thuraya- a provider that has 2 satellites for Northern Africa, Europe, the Middle East, Asia and Australia. Its latest phone is colored and named it Thuraya XT. It can also voice call, send SMS text messages, with data services, and is affordable.

Just like other mobile phones, these satellite phones need a sim card to be able to use it and you will have your very own personal satellite phone number. The three providers have different costs for airtime and prepaid is the most popularly used. Iridium has an African package that is cheaper in addition to their normal Standard package. Why is it cheaper? Well simply because African airtime can be used exclusively inside Africa and Indian Ocean Islands while on the other hand, Standard package can be used anywhere. The accessories included when you purchased the phone are wall and car chargers and data cables. Solar chargers and docking stations are optional extras to be included also.

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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