Satellite Phones

I'm with Inmarsat , l have been able to get service everywhere I have tried , Cape York , Kimberley ,
I have even been surprised when camping in a gully in the Vic Highcountry , I thought several times no way I would get service , always have been able to contact the free test message .
I still have a couple of the 2/20 year vouchers , they were a great deal .

The Thuraya network may be just as good ,

Hi Barry

I am also with the pre paid Inmarsat and have never had any issues with making calls throught out our desert regions in South Australia, Queensland and Western Australia. I can not give you feedback on the Thuraya network, I hopefully there may be an answer for you from someone that is using it.



Cheers


Stephen

Also with Inmarsat prepaid.

Travelled 8 months around Australia with no issues making a connection.

We also have an aftermarket in car kit so always charged and connected to the satellites (90% of the time). If it dropped out and needed to make a call, just turn the car to face north or pull it out of the cradle and connect outside the car.

Cheers

Anthony

Also with Inmarsat - never a problem - used it everyewhere except WA and Tassie. Used it twice now for emergencies and it even worked at the entrance of a gorge in the Flinders.

I'm another happy Inmarsat owner. The satellite is high over New Guinea in geo sync orbit I believe. I've heard that the Thuraya satellite is over towards Malaysia so reception is much better in the northwest than it is down in the southeast, but I have no first hand experience.

Used my Thuraya phone on the Overland track in Tasi. Just needed to be clear of trees.

Here's a rough guide to Inmarsat's satphone satellite showing angle of elevation in various parts of Australia. (I've used mine in the Sth Island of NZ - no problem where the sky was fairly open).

I have been using the Thuraya network for 2 years based mainly on Cape York, Fraser and the Simpson. I cannot comment on Tassie (done elsewhere in this thread) or the extremes of the southern states. I would agree with the "Which Satellites" comments (click here)

I have the Thuraya XT handset (click here) which although not the top of the range, it works as a telephone with voice and SMS. It works as well as a work mates Iridium phone on the Iridium network when used in parallel.

I am on the Pivotel $15 plan (click here), which provides a mobile number, (SMS and voicemail with 5 meg of data), that gives caller the normal mobile to mobile cost, calls out is 99c per minute and SMS 50c. I tend to text the boss (wife) who calls me on her mobile which has unlimited calls) or when working, she calls me at a set time.

Note if there is a telephone tower with in range, calls go via that network.