Satellite Phone Charges

..
. . . and can't it still be used to dial 112 without credit ??
If so, might be useful for short remote trips.

Yeah Les. 000 can be rung without call credits.

The Feds made direct access mandatory for all satphone comm providers last year.

Well that's pretty cool then, wasn't sure if 000 would work with a sat phone, good to know.
Just that might suit a lot of people that are happy to go remote without contacting the outside Wirld, have total confidence in their rigs, and just want the backup of the ability to relay a full emerg situation.
Would possibly suit 1-2 weeks and longer tours a recharge could be done.

Yeah. And some Inmarsat airtime sellers now offer a voucher for a given number of units that you can activate from the phone if you need it. There's still an overall expiry date but this provides more flexibility.

My Pivotel account charge is $15pm & approx $1 per min on the Thuraya satellite

With you there Tony,

Pivotel $15 per month and 99 c per minute, best part is the 50c SMS which is what I use, then my wife/family just call me on the mobile number for free (on their plans) or for a greatly reduced cost.

If I am working, I have a set time when I am called as a check in.

Hi

The post-paid casual Telstra Plan is now $20/month :(

Cheers
Greg

(Here we go again!)

It's NOT actually - if you are on the right plan. Seems some aren't. Those November 22 increases did NOT impact ALL plans/accounts, the "Mobile Accelerate Casual Plan $10" seemingly wasn't.

If I had a contact for you I would happily email a copy of my latest account (due for payment 18/12), still $10/mo and still titled as above.

Sorry - was just specifically talking about the "The post-paid casual Telstra Plan" (proper name Telstra Mobile Casual Plan)

Cant comment on other plans.

Cheers
Greg

I have the same and mine went up from 10 - 20...but on the upside all calls and texts are included.

...I dont think calls and texts are included if the sim card is used in a sat phone as calls etc get diverted to the satellite system and then a charge is applied (for the diversion at least). If its just in a normal mobile then yes.

Cheers
Greg

Dean, as Greg said those inclusions will not apply if the post-paid SIM is used in a satphone. If you use that SIM in your cellphone then the inclusions apply. When you move it to the satphone, all the satphone calls will be charged extra at satphone rates.

In our case we have a dedicated SIM for our the satphone, so we pay $10/mo plus calls at ~$4/min.

Changed mine to the same when I got home from the trip...

Cheers, Baz

I have the same as Mick on one phone and $15 per month on the Iphone sat sleeve with no bonus calls, so for both it is $720 a year or $65 per month + calls I own both devices.

Cheap insurance if you ask me.

Phil are you now saying that Isat in coming calls are at normal mobile rates and not the $19/min, when did that come in? Is this the case for pre-paids as well or just on their monthly plan?
I've not had to use mine for 12mths so not up to speed with any new changes.

cheers

Dunc

Here is a bit from an email that I received. Doesn't suit us as we never make outgoing calls. But worth a read any way. There is an attachment also.

Finally ... the local Inmarsat option is available! I have attached the call plans that are now available.

The monthly fee is quite reasonable, given the following advantages:


Quote from email:
This also means that people calling you are charged just mobile phone rates, so that is much cheaper than the current prepaid option. This is the main advantage to moving to a local connection rather than a prepaid, as it will open up the Isatphone to use in a totally different way. Before, you incurred all the call charges yourself as it is always cheaper for an Inmarsat prepaid to call out than for anyone to call into it. Now, with this option, your outgoing calls will be greatly reduced and you do not pay for incoming calls (unless you are overseas), and the caller only pays normal mobile rates (again, unless you are overseas).

Attachment:
On the way. I have to make it a photo, upload it and then post. Back soon

Phil

Pivotel charges as attached to an email that I received yesterday.

Phil

Just as a btw, on Inmarsat Prepaid one option to avoid the ridiculous Telstra interconnect charge when calling in is to use Skype. $7.30 per minute.

Sigmund

If you read what was in the email to me (two posts back) you will see the following: "This also means that people calling you are charged just mobile phone rates". And about time. No more $20 a minute calls to us.

Phil

Yeah. The post referred to call plans & monthly fee, so I took it not to apply to prepaid.