What can I use a satellite terminal for?Satellite terminals allow you to connect to the internet with broadband speeds virtually anywhere in the world. This means that wherever you are you can keep people back home up-to-date with your journey through email, blogs or social networking sites. You can also remotely connect to corporate networks. Additionally, some terminals also allow voice connectivity to enable you to make phones calls using a specially designed handset. | ||
Which network is best?Inmarsat and Thuraya both have satellite networks which allow the use of satellite terminals for connecting to the internet at broadband speeds. The Inmarsat BGAN network offers almost global coverage and a wide range of terminals, which vary in price and connection speeds, can be used to connect to this network. The Thuraya IP network covers almost two thirds of the globe and just one terminal is currently suitable for use on this network. Thuraya IP airtime is generally priced very competitively in comparison to BGAN airtime. | ||
Which satellite terminal best suits your needs?If you decide that the Thuraya network is the most suitable for your needs, there is just one terminal available, the Thuraya IP. If you select the Inmarsat BGAN network there are various satellite terminals to choose from and the one most suitable for you will vary depending on a number of factors including budget, size, data speed and the number of users sharing the terminal. Although the Wideye Sabre 1 is the cheapest satellite terminal available it is a very capable terminal and provides a data download speed of up to 384 kbps. If you are looking for a small, compact terminal with a good data speed we would recommend the Thrane & Thrane Explorer 300. The Thrane & Thrane 700 is the biggest and fastest satellite terminal available, but also one of the most expensive. This terminal offers data connection speeds of up to 492 kbps along with the ability for multiple users to send and receive data and make voice calls all at the same time. If you’re still not sure which terminal suits you please take a look at our comparison table or visit our terminal page where you will see a more comprehensive guide of all terminals available through Global Telesat Communications. If you need a satellite terminal for a short period of time and wish to avoid the expense of buying one, why not have a look at our satellite terminal rental page to see which terminal could best suit your needs. | ||
Pre-Paid or Post-Paid airtime?Once you have chosen the most appropriate network and terminal for your requirements you will need to decide how to purchase airtime to use with your terminal. If Thuraya is your chosen network provider you will have to buy airtime through a post-paid contract. However, if you choose the Inmarsat network you can choose between pre-paid and post-paid airtime. Pre-paid airtime gives you the option to buy a certain amount of units to use with your terminal. These units can be bought in different quantities and validity periods, depending on your requirements, and once your prepaid units have been used your terminal will not work until more units are purchased. Post-paid airtime involves a monthly fee and usually a minimum contract term of 12 months. The benefit of post-paid airtime is that you will always have a guaranteed connection without having to worry about pre-paid units expiring. In addition, the cost per MB can be slightly lower on some post-paid plans. | ||
About Inmarsat BGAN | ||
| ||
|
