Motorola 9505A Sat phone and sms

My understanding is that you would have SMS reception, senders can also message you via email, and you'll also have SMS TX ability.
Try these guys, they gave me some good tech advice. www.trtelecom.com/default.asp (If it doesn't hyperlink cut and paste it)

Another option is to get hold of a 9505 model, now only available 2nd hand, they should be a heap cheaper to buy, same drill for using with Telstra sim card and I believe same TX/RX functions. I have the older 9500 model, it does the job for basic emergency coms, but no SMS or email ability. If available they are 2nd hand for around $1000.

If you wish to purchase new - talk to TR Telecom.

$30/mth plan for 4 month minimum term, $15/mth to hold account

Ask them to match Telstra's price of $1995 for the 9505A kit (contains leather case, ext antenna, international adaptors, etc)

As said above - the SMS is via email only, however if you have a website hosted with php or similar, then you can have a script running which (say):
1) looks at new email for a particular email address from the satphone
2) grabs the phone number from the beginning of the email
3) sends an email to a email to SMS gateway for normal mobile phone deliverly.

SMS's are $1 ea from the satphone.

The phone is unlocked to start with - but the 4 months min may or may not be required (ask them) to purchase new.

No I do not work for TRT -

Just that I hate burning money with Tel$tra - 24 months is bs....

If you are talking about receiving SMS whilst on the Satellite network (as opposed to being attached to the GSM network) I don't think you will receive calls on a roaming enabled SIM card. I tried it last year and none of the SMSes made it through. Refer to posts 41794, 39749 & 42954. The second one has another person who confirmed that SMS will only work if sent to the Iridium SIM card (numbers starting from +8816)

-geoff

If you are doing a once off trip why not consider a 2nd hand Telit handset...using Global Star..they are on offer on Ebay through a regular seller and seem to go for around $400 to $600. They are a dual handset that is they switch from GSM to satellite subject to what signal is available...the phones are unlocked...just insert your sim card they say !

I had an Ericson sat phone on Global star..the same deal..no real problems with the service but coudnt get replacement batteries when they stuffed up and so I now have a 9505A with Telstra....they simply had a beter deal at the time.....SMS works fine....from my experience I think the Telstar satellite service might be a little more stable compared to the Global Star..but that may be a reflection on the old Ericcson hand set rather than the Satellites themselves