Lower your call charges to Inmarsat satellite phones and terminals by using Skype – calls start from just £1.64 per minute. For full pricing information see http://www.skype.com/intl/en-us/prices/call-rates/cheap-calls-to-inmarsat/?currency=gbp Connection fees will apply.
Inmarsat have announced that the highly anticipated data capability of the IsatPhone Pro will go live on 31st March.
Inmarsat have stated that during tests the handset reached speeds of up to 20kbps with plain text emails and said that the service will be ideal for those wanting to access emails, jpegs, documents or PDFs.
To enable the service you will need to upgrade your handset with the latest firmware version which will be available from www.globaltelesat.co.uk from 31st March.
The Ultimate Handheld Sat Phone
An independent study of three latest-generation handheld satellite phones has validated Inmarsat’s claims for IsatPhone Pro, and concluded that it outperforms the Iridium 9555 and Thuraya XT in a number of critical areas.
The global research programme, commissioned by Inmarsat, was conducted over a two-month period in 16 locations around the world by TelAstra, Inc., an international telecommunications consultancy with extensive experience of satellite communications. They undertook a fully-independent comparison study of the three satellite phones using the six published claims made by Inmarsat for IsatPhone Pro: global coverage; robust handset; clear voice quality; reliable network connection; long battery life; and ease of use.
“All the satphones have pluses and minuses, and all of them would be acceptable with various limitations,” said Roger Rusch, TelAstra, Inc. “But unquestionably, IsatPhone Pro is the best. It works everywhere and is the most rugged. The voice quality is excellent, it has a reliable network connection, and the longest battery life of the three satphones. It is also easy to use.
“Although we were not asked to compare the price of the satphones or satphone services, it appears that IsatPhone Pro prices are significantly less expensive, and the service rates appear to be highly competitive as well. IsatPhone Pro would be our choice regardless of affordability or any other single issue,” he said.
Read the full report here: www.globaltelesat.co.uk/satphone/satellite-phone-comparison-study.pdf
Courtesy of www.inmarsat.com
Inmarsat have announced that they have contracted Boeing to construct “The Inmarsat-5s” – a new satellite constellation consisting of 3 satellites. This move is part of a $1.2 billion investment to create a global wireless broadband network called Global Xpress.
These satellites will be the first commercial global satellites to operate in the high frequency Ka-band. Inmarsat will be able to take advantage of the increased bandwidth available to offer download speeds of 50Mbps and upload speeds of 5Mbps which will revolutionise data usage within the satellite communications industry. Currently Inmarsat can only achieve download speeds of around 0.5Mbps with its BGAN X-Stream Service.
These services will be available as soon as 2014 and the satellites have a lifespan of approximately 15 years.
Global Telesat Communications is pleased to announce that we now have airtime rates available for the new IsatPhone Pro. Inmarsat are proving very competitive with their sat phone call charges on both pre-paid and post-paid airtime for their Global Satellite Phone Service (GSPS).
Other satellite networks such as Iridium and Thuraya offer a range of validity periods on different vouchers which can become confusing. Inmarsatare offering a flat two year validity on all pre-paid vouchers, even the smaller denominations. This is great for customers who only use their sat phone in emergencies but don’t want to lose their credit if they don’t use it. What’s more the rate per minute works out to be good value with costs varying from £0.61 – £1.00 per minute to fixed lines depending on the volume of airtime you buy.
A drawback for some pre-paid users will be that currently pre-paid service may not be used for calls within, from or to the United States. This will be resolved at a later date.
All other satellite phone networks offer a standard contract with a 12 month minimum period. Inmarsat are breaking boundaries by offering 3 different contracts, all with no activation fee and two of which have no minimum term! This makes the IsatPhonevery flexible for those occasional users. For those who frequently use their sat phone Inmarsat is offering two plans which have inclusive minutes making call costs even cheaper. Call costs to a fixed line range from £0.60 – £0.66 per minute depending on which plan you choose.
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Summary of IsatPhone Pro Post-Paid Plans
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Standard Plan
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Allowance 20 Plan
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Allowance 60 Plan
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| Monthly Fee |
$20.00
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$35.00
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$60.00
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| Inclusive Minutes Each Month |
0
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20*
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60**
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| Minimum Contract Duration (Months) |
0
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0
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12
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| * Allowance for Voice to Fixed traffic only. No rollover of unused minutes. | |||
| ** Allowance is for mobile originated traffic to fixed/cellular/voicemail/GSPS/SPS/BGAN/FBB/SBB. No rollover of unused minutes. | |||
We have already had some questions as to why you would choose the Standard Plan when there are no inclusive minutes, why not just choose pre-paid? Well, the advantage that post-paid always has over pre-paid vouchers is that you do not have to worry about topping up your airtime, running out of credit or losing credit after validity periods have ended – you will always be able to make a call. Considering there is no minimum contract on the Standard Plan it is still a very flexible option for occasional users.
Global Telesat Communications are proud to be a verified bronze partner of Inmarsatwhich is why you can trust us with your IsatPhone Pro handset and airtime purchase.