Global Telesat Communications: Satellite Phone Comparison - Global Telesat Communications Ltd
Satellite Phone Comparison
At Global Telesat Communications we sell a range of satellite phones which operate on networks including Globalstar, Inmarsat, Iridium and Thuraya. If you are looking to purchase a satellite phone but don't know where to start, our buying guide is here to help. The following information is designed to help you pick the right satellite phone and airtime options for your requirements.
Compare all our satellite phones with our phone comparison chart.
Which network and satellite phone should you choose?
One of the most important things to consider before buying a satellite phone is the location in which it will be used as not all satellite network operators offer truly global coverage. We recommend looking at our satellite coverage page to see which network providers offer coverage suitable for your requirements. Additionally, you need to consider whether the phone will be used purely for voice connectivity or if you require advanced functions such as data transmission and GPS tracking capabilities.
Currently Iridium is the only network service provider to offer completely pole to pole global coverage although Inmarsat offer global coverage excluding the poles.
Thuraya offers a reliable coverage over Europe, Central Africa and large parts of Southern Africa, the Middle East, Central and South Asia as well as Australia. The network covers over 140 countries in these areas.
Globalstar offers voice coverage over most land covered areas across the globe. The reliability of Globalstar's network has been affected by the degradation of their satellite constellation in recent years. The result of this has been a restriction on the ability to make or receive calls at certain times during the day. In early 2013, Globalstar will complete the deployment of its second generation satellite constellation and customers can expect a progressive return to high reliability and service quality shortly afterwards.
Please look at our satellite coverage page to see which option would best suit you.
What's best - Pay As You Go or a Pay Monthly contract?
Your satellite phone needs a SIM card to operate, so if you don’t have one already it’s important to make sure you order the appropriate SIM card when making your purchase from GTC. We offer SIM cards from all the major network providers and most of these are available without charge. We do charge for Thuraya pay-as-you-go SIM cards but these include a small amount of airtime.
You have a choice of two airtime options when buying your SIM card; pay-as you-go airtime or a pay monthly contract. Pay-as-you-go airtime allows you to buy a specified amount of units or minutes and once they have been used or expire you can either top-up or purchase a new card. This is very similar to the way that a pay-as-you-go SIM card works for a regular mobile phone. The validity of this pay-as-you-go airtime varies greatly between the different network providers so please check the option you choose is appropriate for your requirements.
An alternative option is to set-up a pay monthly contract. Monthly contracts carry a fixed monthly charge in addition to the cost of any voice and data calls you will make using the SIM. If you plan to use your satellite phone regularly throughout the year and do not want to worry about the expiry dates or inconvenience of topping-up pay-as-you-go SIM cards you may find it more convenient and cost effective to use a post-paid SIM card.
The cost of calls and other services used on pay-as-you-go and pay monthly SIM cards vary depending on the service provider used.
