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Top 4 Mistakes To Avoid When Getting A Satellite Phone
Rex Strong
Once you have identified the need to own a satellite phone
whether for personal reasons, philanthropic ones or commercial
gains you also need to be cautious about the phone you select.
Buying or renting a satellite phone requires you to spend some
amount of time researching the various options available. This
is the only way to ensure that you buy what you really need and
want rather than what the salesperson wanted to sell you.
Here are some things to keep in mind when getting a satellite
phone.
1. Buying or renting? You need to decide whether you want to buy
the satellite phone and service outright or renting will
suffice. Generally, for one time or infrequent users, renting is
a cheaper and better option. However, for industries such as
aviation, oil and gas, mining, transportation, government and
military and maritime the only choice is to buy. Don't let the
salesperson push you into a decision. Evaluate the factors
involved in renting Vs buying a satellite phone and then choose.
2. Don't confuse GSM with satellite phones Some people may try
to convince you that your requirements will be fulfilled equally
well with a GSM or Global System for Mobile Communications
phone. That may be true. A GSM phone generally offers roaming
worldwide and is used by most global travelers. However, GSM
technology does not use satellites. Satellite phones work even
when the infrastructure is damaged or unavailable. GSM phones
are dependent on Earth based infrastructure and landlines.
Hence, in hard to reach areas and in times of natural disasters,
a GSM phone may stop working. Your satellite phone won't.
3. Check non coverage zones beforehand While most satellite
companies offer extensive coverage and even global coverage
including airways, oceans and the polar regions there are some
zones that are blocked from the network. North Srilanka, Poland
and North Korea are some of the counties that are not covered by
many satellite phone companies. Also, different plans offer
coverage in different zones. So before you buy a plan or a
package that includes a bundled plan, check if the zones you
intend to visit are included or not.
4. Evaluate the cost of the satellite phone, accessories and
package When buying the satellite phone don't just look at the
cost of the phone. While latest models cost about $1500, a
slightly older model can come much cheaper at $1000. In addition
to the phone itself you will need to invest in satellite phone
accessories like chargers, extra batteries and protective cases.
You will obviously also need to buy airtime so estimate that
cost as well. Often people leap in and buy a satellite phone
without realizing all the other purchases they need to make.
This does not mean you cannot afford a satellite phone. It
simply means you may need to buy a cheaper model or a used one.
Thus, with a little research and careful planning you can ensure
that you get the best deal only
About the author:
Rex Strong is the owner and operator of the website: www.satellitep
honesite.com. His goal is to provide relevant information
about satellite phones to the regular guy. If linking to the
above article please use the following hyperlink: Satellite Phones vs Cell Phones
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