How Can I Get the Cheapest Satellite Phone Bills?

Hi. My name is John Whitley and I’m the founder of RentASatPhone.com.au,  Australia’s number one online rental satellite communications store.

In this article I want to answer one of the most common questions I get from anyone looking into satellite phones in Australia, “How can I get the cheapest satellite phone bills?”

At the time of writing, the two networks available in Australia are Thuraya and Iridium. You cannot purchase a Thuraya handset with a prepaid SIM card within Australia except through Optus. This means if you want to use the Thuraya network you need to go to an Optus dealer such as RenASatPhone.com.au. Our website explains the satellite phone plans available to you.

When it comes to price, with no competition on the Thuraya network, you’ll pay the price dictated by Optus. The only way to reduce your call charges using this network is to use SMS texting.

With the Iridium network there are a number of competitors trying to get your business so the plans are more competitive.

SOME WAYS TO REDUCE YOUR SATELLITE PHONE BILL:

• Go to a dealer that doesn’t charge a flagfall - the charge, ranging from 40 to 60 cents, every time you make a connection.
• Go to a dealer that doesn’t charge you for incoming calls to your satellite phone. Many do.
• Go to a dealer that offers you free incoming text and SMS.
• Go to a dealer that has a 12-month not a 24-month airtime plan. If your circumstances change you won’t be left with an expensive bill for time remaining on the contract.
• And lastly, go to a dealer who can assist you, who can adapt your airtime plan to suit your personal needs and who will change with you as your circumstances change.

At RentASatPhone.com.au we don’t charge a flagfall - ever. We don’t charge you for incoming calls, we offer free SMS and texting to your satellite phone and our contracts start at 12 months duration.

Lastly, we understand that your circumstances can change. With just one phone call we can assist you find the right solution to meet those changes.

I trust you found this information useful. If you’d like to know anything more about satellite phones and how we can help you find the right solution for your individual requirements, please contact us.

We’ll be happy to help you.

See our website for more free advice and to learn all you need to know about satellite phones.

Visit www.RentASatPhone.com.au or call us on 1300 851 591.

What Satellite Phones Work in Australia?

Hi. My name is John Whitley and I’m the founder of www.Rentasatphone.com.au Australia’s number one online rental satellite communications store.

In this article I want to answer one of the most common questions I get from anyone looking into satellite phones in Australia, “What satellite phones and networks work in Australia?”

There are three satellite networks that operate in Australia. We will cover two of them here. The third is called Inmarsat, which is the network generally used for data transfer such as emails, for searching the internet or for photos, pictures and videos.

We will stick to the two most common networks available for normal satellite phone communications in Australia.

Firstly there is the Thuraya network. This is an Asian network which covers two thirds of the earth, including Australia.

It uses a slightly lower satellite network than Iridium. Although it should work in any location in Australia, our extensive experience has identified several incidents or events that may prevent your Thuraya handset from operating.

There are two Thuraya handsets available in Australia. The first is the SO2510. It’s a small, lightweight handset that offers the best opportunity to get satellite communications at the lowest possible price, normally around the A$990 mark.

It has lots of added features, including GPS Latitude and Longitude. The SO2510 is a small no fuss unit ideal for emergencies. It can only be purchased through an authorised Optus satellite dealership and comes with an Optus airtime plan.

We award this handset three stars because, for the first time, it has allowed consumers to get into satellite communications at a very low initial price.

The second satellite phone in the Thuraya range is the SG2520, a more funky phone crammed with the sort of features you’re more accustomed to on your standard mobile phone, such as a camera.

Thuraya claim this phone is a dual phone and can work in normal GSM mode if it is available and then switch to satellite phone mode when your standard mobile phone network is no longer available.

It’s a bit more expensive at around the $ A2,000 mark.

The second network and the most well known and used is the Iridium network. This is the only truly global network.

The Iridium network partnered with Motorola many years ago. They have great brand recognition and a reputation for being the “go to” satellite phone company for the person who wants to be guaranteed they will get through everywhere, every time.

The Iridium network uses a higher satellite orbit so it doesn’t suffer from the non-connections we have experienced with other networks.

With over 66 satellites currently orbiting the earth it makes sure you connect to 4 satellites before connecting you, giving you more secure and more stable coverage.

Iridium have just launched their new satellite phone, the Iridium 9555. It replaced the much loved and outstandingly reliable Iridium 9505a handset. As you can probably guess, I was a fan.

The Iridium 9555’s main improvements are that it’s 30% smaller than its predecessor. Its aerial is now part of the phone itself and operates better. Iridium claim it has a 30% increase in signal strength.

It has unlimited SMS character functions and comes standard with a mini USB lead so you can download emails to your laptop.

Although more expensive than its predecessor, ranging in price from A$2,200 to A$2,400 depending on where you buy it, unlike the Thuraya handsets the Iridium comes with an outstanding array of standard equipment - car charger, mains charger, magnetic roof-mount antenna, travel plugs, leather case, and the mini USB cable for data transfer.

In our opinion this satellite phone will continue where the 9505a left off - as the market leader. We think it deserves the award and give it 5 stars.

We hope you enjoyed this brief look at satellite communications in Australia.

If you’d like to see more articles just like this one, covering the most frequently asked questions about satellite phones and everything associated with them, visit our website.

Visit www.rentasatphone.com.au or call us on 1300 851 591.

Can I Send And Receive SMS With My Satellite Phone?

Hi. My name is John Whitley and I’m the founder of RentASatPhone.com.au,  Australia’s number one satellite communications Rental store.

In this article I want to answer one of the most common questions I get from anyone looking into satellite phones in Australia, “Can I send and receive SMS with my satellite phone”?

Great question. And the answer is, “Yes, you can.”

But let’s dig a little deeper and find out how to make it a bit cheaper for you.

Both of the current networks within Australia (Thuraya and Iridium) allow you to receive and send SMS from any of their satellite phones.

In our experience, however, it’s common for SMS, or text messages as they are sometimes known, to get lost in space. If the SMS you’re sending is urgent or you’re relying on it to get through it’s imperative that you request confirmation from the recipient that they have received it.

Also, if your satellite phone isn’t on when you are sent an SMS, you may not always receive it.

So, a tip if you are sending or receiving an SMS on a satellite phone: ask for confirmation that yours was received and send confirmation letting them know you got theirs.

Another point to keep in mind is that each SMS or text from a satellite phone can vary in cost from A(?)$1.00 to A(?)$2.00 so please shop around if texting is an important part of your usage.

Also check if it costs for you to receive an SMS or text, you’ll be surprised by the answers from each dealer or network.

There is a way for you to receive SMS or text messages from both current satellite phone networks within Australia without it costing you or the person who is sending the message.

To give you the greatest opportunity to find the deal that’s best for you, we’ve found three online satellite phone stores that offer a free SMS or text messaging service to any satellite phone or network - free of charge. Yes, free.

This means rather than your office or home calling you on your satellite phone and you having to pay huge costs from your home or office plan your callers can simply go to a website, put in your satellite phone number and send you a message - completely free.

Just go to these websites and look for the SMS button in their main menu bar. I have asked their permission and they are more than happy for you to utilise their services, whether you purchased from them or not:

www.satellitephonesales.com.au

www.rentasatphone.com.au

www.iridiumdirect.com.au

I trust you found this information useful. If you’d like to know anything more about satellite phones and internet equipment, please contact us.

We’ll be happy to help you.

See our website for more free advice and to learn all you need to know about satellite phones.

Visit www.RentASatPhone.com.au or call us on 1300 851 591.

Can I get a Prepaid Card for my Satellite Phone?

Hi. My name is John Whitley and I’m the founder of RentASatPhone.com.au,  Australia’s number one satellite communications Rental store.

In this article I want to answer one of the most common questions I get from anyone looking into satellite phones in Australia, “Can I get a prepaid card for my satellite phone rather than entering into a contract?”

I will do my best to steer you in the right direction with this question but please be aware things change in this ever-changing world.

At the time of writing the two satellite networks available in Australia are Thuraya and Iridium.

Up until July 2009 it was possible within Australia to buy a Thuraya handset and also purchase a prepaid time-limited card. Thuraya have since signed an exclusive deal with Optus which means you can only buy a Thuraya handset through an Optus authorised satellite dealer.

We consider this a great shame as Thuraya had carved themselves a growing market by providing a great value for money handset. For those people who simply wanted something for emergencies or for the occasional home conversation this was easily the best solution.

At the moment Optus do not offer a prepaid option with their Thuraya handsets.

For consumers who have purchased them in Australia prior to July 2009, however, purchasing top-up to their already existing prepaid cards is no problem.

This leaves the Iridium network. Well, the answer is, “Yes, you can buy prepaid with an Iridium phone.” But this comes with many limitations.

First, currently in Australia the only prepaid options Iridium offer are a two-month 80mins prepaid on a “use it or lose it” basis. So if you don’t use your credits in that two months you will lose them.

Iridium then give you just one month’s grace to top up  that card. If you don’t, you will lose your card and phone number and have to start again.

The second option is a twelve-month time card with 500mins on it on the same “use it or lose it” basis.

The reality is that it costs so much to put each satellite into orbit and to run them that it’s not really financial viable for these companies to sell prepaid for their services.

Until we can negotiate to change this, at the time of writing these were the only options available.

But watch this space.

I trust you found this information useful. If you’d like to know anything more about satellite phones and how to find the plan that’s best for you, please contact us.

We’ll be happy to help you.

See our website for more free advice and to learn all you need to know about satellite phones rental.

Visit www.RentASatPhone.com.au or call us on 1300 851 591.

Why Does it Cost Me When Someone Calls my Satellite Phone?

Hi. My name is John Whitley and I’m the founder of RentaSatPhone.com.au, Australia’s number one satellite communications Rental store..

I want to answer one of the most common questions I get from anyone looking into satellite phones in Australia, “Why does it cost me when someone calls my satellite phone”?

Great question. And the answer is that not all satellite dealerships charge you. So don’t be conned into believing that they all do.

It’s a bit hard to stomach that there you are, minding your own business,  your satellite phone rings, you answer it without a thought and BANG! you’ve just been charged $1.50 to $2.00 by the dealer.

“Hold on,” I hear you cry. “But I didn’t make the call. How can I control what someone else does? That’s not fair.” And you are absolutely right. It isn’t.

It tends to be the major players that are doing this to you: the likes of Telstra, Pivotel and a few others. The reason comes down to them offering you a local Australian phone number for your satellite phone. It sounded good when you bought it from them, but was it explained to you that it will cost more?

To get a local number the call has to go through a local exchange and be converted from the satellite phone number to the local number. This is not free. Some dealers will try to absorb this charge by offering minutes within their airtime and others will simply charge it on.

The reality is, it’s a bit like playing at a casino. The house know the numbers and set themselves up so they don’t lose. That can only result in you being charged more.

It’s not an insignificant amount of money and can make owning your satellite phone a lot more expensive than you initially thought. But of course once you are in a contract that’s it, you’re stuck with it.

So my advice is that if you’re not that fussed about getting a local number (and in our experience 85% of customers aren’t) then go to a dealer who does not charge for incoming calls.

Again, it tends to be the quality online operators that offer you the option, so choose the deal that’s best for you. Shop around and you could save money straight away.

I trust you found this information useful. If you’d like to know anything more about satellite phones and how you can save money on yours, please contact us.

We’ll be happy to help you.

See our website for more free advice and to learn all you need to know about satellite phones rental.

Visit www.RentaSatPhone.com.au or call us on 1300 851 591.