best satellite plan for short (3 month) casual user?

4lex,

Every year I just get the $10 casual sim and telstra just enable it. I have never had a problem and I don't have a landline.

Guys,

Just so that I have this straight in my aging memory banks and processor unit.
If I bought a second hand 9555 sat phone and pulled Mr SIM out of the I-Phone 3 that is just a game thingy (is that the correct term(;-)) ) for the grand kids and put that into the sat phone I could make some sort of emergency call?? 000, RFDS or what??

Cheers
Pop

Yep that is right pop.

Hi RA,

Please don't think me rude (I have enough people that have that opinion already) but other than 000 or RFDS are there any other numbers that would fall into the "or what" category???

Cheers
Pop

Pop,
there are many but some of the most important or what numbers are in order of importance.

Remote beer deliveries by air.
Remote beer deliveries by land.
Remote beer deliveries by sea.
Remote beer delivery complaints.

No other numbers fit into the other category.
Have been working on the government for years to have these included with 000 and RFDS calls. No luck yet as they seem to be Grange drinkers with the odd white wine buff thrown in amongst them.

Refer here:
https://www.telstra.com.au/webforms/international-roaming/activate-roaming-data-pack/index.cfm

"To apply for International Roaming, you need to:
- have a Telstra post-paid mobile service (roaming is already active on Telstra Pre-Paid mobile services) or Telstra Mobile Broadband service (excluding BigPond Mobile Broadband)
- be the holder of the Telstra billing account for that mobile or mobile broadband service
- have a Telstra account for the last six months in your name without it being placed on hold/suspended or missing a payment with us."

I tried a number of times to work around this, they won't do it. This behaviour is consistent with the experience of three other applicants I know in the last couple of months. Even offered a substantial deposit. This is Telstra of course, so YMMV.

Have been working on the government for years to have these included with 000 and RFDS calls. No luck yet as they seem to be Grange drinkers with the odd white wine buff thrown in amongst them.

make it a election issue I am sure they will say and do any thing to get in this time lol

http://www.pm.gov.au/contact-your-pm

lol

Hahahahaha,

All those outa work comedians and I get you lot. No seriously, thanks for that.
I always thought white wine was what was left over after they had filled the Chateau Cardboard cartons with the good stuff.
Grange?? I thought that was a model of Holden Commodore.

Beer deliveries? You mean the RFDS don't carry supplies??? Purely for medicinal purposes of course. (;-0)

Cheers
Pop

alilen m,
yep I never thought about my post paid mobile. That must be why they allow the roaming. Thanks for that.

This was an interesting post as I have always thought there was a cheaper way of activating a sat. phone.

PS. will vote for the above amendments to the RFDS emergency medical supplies. LOL

So...if I have Optus on my mobile and home plan (have regretted that many times already!), then my choices are:
- lean on a Tesltra-connected relative or friend to sign up to the $10 plan and trust that I won't make a zillion dollars of calls
OR
- take out one of the expensive Satellite casual plans?
My husband has a work Tesltra bb but he's not the account holder so I guess that won't help.

Hello

I purchased a sim on the casual $10 plan from a Telstra shop for my Sat phone. When i got home I was confronted with the "cant activate international roaming as you haven't been a customer for six months" advice via the internet site but I just rang them - connected straight away. I don't believe it to be a problem.

Cheers
Greg

Carolyn, if you have a Telstra landline you'll be fine. In fact if you have Bigpond internet you'll be fine. Otherwise, yes, a friend is the path of least cost and resistance, though it isn't even straight forward to get the $10 casual Sim. Most Telstra shop monkeys will tell you there is no such thing. Word of caution, make no mention of satellites, it will only confuse them. And you need a normal size Sim for the old motorola phone, not the silly cut down apple ones.

Hi
Naargh its not even that hard. I don't have a Telstra landline or any other Telstra account and just walked straight into a Telstra shop and within 10 minutes was signed up on the $10 casual plan. The "shop monkey" knew exactly what I was talking about - no problems. Maybe I was lucky but I think the sales assistants are fully aware of what products they have for sale - its their job. Getting one that doesn't know would not be the norm.

The casual plans are all listed on their website - no secret - Telstra Casual Plans

Then as mentioned, went home, rang Telstra and had international roaming activated no problems. If you get resistance here just say you are going to another carrier if they wont activate it.

Be aware that SMS messages (in and out) cost heaps on this plan so don't encourage this method of communication.

Cheers
Greg

Thanks for that Mike, but our trip is only for 3 months, think we need to be able to say six months. We will also spend a few months within 2 years in an area where my Optus phone doesn't work, but there is telstra coverage so I don't think that helps us.

Carolyn
I don't think you need to be with Telstra. You can stay with Optus
and apply for the subsidy.
Brian

Thanks Brian but what I meant was, if there is Telstra coverage then it doesn't count for subsidy purposes