sat phone

Cant help yopu as to experience but the subject of satfones is endless and a search may well reveal your answers

Try "Thuraya" or" Satfone options" in the search function

Has been done to death for the last 8 years at least

G'day Mark,

Yes, I've got a Thuraya XT on a $15 plan. Works well, no worries switching the plan on for when you need it and off for when you are at home. Rather than make calls, we send frequent texts back home when we are remote because you can transmit your GPS coordinates as part of the text, so the recipient can work out where you are.

Cheers, Mark

I have the Xt Lite one on the $15 plan through Pivotel.
I live in Cairns, many places I travel has no Telstra reception. ??

The phone works well, the satellite is over Singapore but I had no connection issues.
It's comparable to the Iridium sat phone that I sometimes use.

I tend to text my wife and she calls me, it's a standard mobile call (free on our plan). Text are 50cents. Some trips I have a call/check in time 18:30 and she calls me then.

Hi Mark
I have the Thuraya XT Lite and $15 a month plan. Worked well for me last year on a very remote desert trip. I use the phone only for emergency purposes. Cost of texts is really low. The Thuraya coverage is good in Northern Australia, although the call did drop out once.
I pay the $15 every month as it costs to reconnect.
Like that the cost of calls is according to the caller's plan, no international dialing required.
cheers
Margaret