With an A+ rating on our BBB Accredited Business Profile, we are proud to be one of the very top providers of satellite mobile phones. We’ve been in business for over two decades now, and with that experience comes an understanding as to how we can better serve our customers and client base. As the years have passed, we have set ourselves apart from the competition in more ways than one, but one of our chief distinguishing factors is our commitment to providing exceptional customer service.
When you consider our industry and all that it entails, it’s something of a minor miracle that there are no negative reviews or comments found on BBB or other review platforms. We aren’t stating we are perfect by any means — no business of any kind is — we simply want to point out that when our customers need us, we are there for them.
The stakes are often high for our customers. Whether they are out in a remote location on business or having an (ideally) fun adventure, communication with the outside world is often nothing short of vital. That’s why we offer 24/7 customer support, prepaid reloads, and a wide range of satcom options that give customers the connectedness they need. At Outfitter Satellite, we are proud to offer Iridium, Globalstar, Thuraya, and Inmarsat satellite phones along with high-speed data terminals. We offer sat phones for rent and for purchase, so no matter what your needs are, we can work with you to find a solution that will meet your specifications!
No Matter Your Knowledge Level, We’ll Find You The Right Solution
Today’s post is dedicated to answering some frequently asked questions. There is a strong degree of variance when it comes to our customers’ knowledge of satcom equipment. Whether you are new to the industry and don’t really know where to start or you are something of a seasoned pro just looking for a satellite phone company worth their salt, we can help you.
For the former category, we’d like to answer some frequently asked questions for you. Don’t be intimidated by the obscure brand names or terminology. We’ll define some terms in today’s post, along with providing our prospective customers with a working framework to help them get pointed in the right direction.
If you are interested in expanding your knowledge base as it relates to satellite telephones and auxiliary equipment, keep reading!
What Is a Satellite Phone?
Sometimes called sat phones, satellite phones, or satellite telephones, a satellite phone is a mobile phone which connects with satellites in orbit as opposed to land-based cell towers. While some people refer to sat phones as “satellite cell phones,” this is something of a misnomer for the reason just provided. While the purpose and functionality of satellite phones are the same as a cell phone, the process of achieving communication services like short messaging service (SMS), voice, and internet access is the key difference.
Are Sat Phones Expensive To Use?
It depends. For Iridium plans, it depends on whether you get a postpaid or prepaid plan. For our Standard +75 Iridium Monthly Plan, for instance, the monthly fee is $93.00 per month*, which gets you 75 minutes and 0 SMS. The basic rate for out-of-bundle minutes is $1.19 per minute*, and each SMS message will ding you just 25 cents.
For Inmarsat BGAN Monthly Plans, our standard monthly fee at Outfitter Satellite is $64 per month*. This let’s you make and receive voice calls to PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network: the worldwide collection of interconnected, voice-oriented public telephone networks that are both governmentally and commercially owned. It is also sometimes referred to as the Plain Old Telephone Service, or POTS) for $.95 cents per minute*, make in-network voice calls (to Inmarsat BGAN, GSPS, and FBB) for $.60 cents per minute, and you can even stream in HDR Full Channel Symmetric for $27.50* per minute. While that last figure is steep, there are times when high-definition connectivity is essential for business. We are here at Outfitter Satellite to help make sure those connections are seamless and straightforward, so that you can focus on whatever you need to.
Globalstar Monthly Plans and their pricing vary with the kind of services you need. For the Globalstar Orbit+Unlimited plan, the service fee is $199.99 per month* for unlimited minutes. Contrast that with the entry-level monthly plan, the Orbit+100 Plan, and you’ll see that the service fee is less at $64.00 per month*, but you only receive 100 minutes in your Monthly Bundle plan. After that the basic rate for out-of-bundle minutes is $.99 per minute*.
As you can tell, it really just depends on the kind of sat phone service you require. If you aren’t sure, we are happy to be consultants. Like we mentioned above, we have over two decades’ worth of experience here at Outfitter Satellite; let us put it to good use for you!
What Is An Iridium Phone?
Perhaps we should back up here, seeing as we threw a good deal of brands, initialisms, and acronyms at you in that last section. Iridium sat phones operate within the Iridium satellite constellation, which is a collection of 66 active satellites utilized for data and voice communication around the world.
Iridium satellite phones provide complete global coverage because each satellite can project “spot beams” onto the earth’s surface. Each spot beam is around 250 miles in diameter. Every satellite has a footprint of approximately 2,800 miles in diameter, and each spot beam overlaps. This means that you have coverage no matter where you are on earth.
What Is An IsatPhone?
Isatphones, like Iridium phones, are handheld satellite phones that provide reliable voice service anywhere on the planet. Irrespective as to how remote you can get, you’ll get a reliable network, global coverage, a robust handset, and language support in a variety of languages.
Network features - Get seamless roaming and dependable call stability with handsets that function over Inmarsat’s global I-4 satellite network.
Global Coverage - Whether you elect to go with the IsatPhone 2 or the IsatPhone Pro, the coverage is worldwide (excluding the poles). There are no roaming charges because all calls are made utilizing a single, global network.
Handset Tolerance - IsatPhones operate between -20 degrees Celsius to +55 degrees Celsius. Their humidity tolerance is up to 95 percent.
Language support - Get support in a multiple languages: Spanish, Russian, Japanese, French, Portuguese, English, Chinese, Arabic.
We hope that you’ve enjoyed this foundational resource for understanding satcom and various satellite phones for sale and rent. Reach out to us at Outfitter Satellite for more specific information. We’d love to hear from you!
* All terms, conditions, and pricing on this page are accurate as of the time the blog was posted but are subject to change without notice.