I've been thinking about going on an extended trip around the world, and a portable satellite phone is one thing I'll be sure to bring with me. For anyone who has traveled much at all, they know that keeping in touch while you're in a different city or country every week is a challenge. No sane person will pay the international long distance phone rates that you're hotel will ask. Buying a local phone card can be a decent solution and is more affordable, but you'll always need to be near a landline phone or coin operated phone in order to use it. Finally, a prepaid phone card is best for making calls but useless for receiving calls. What if you could have the same phone number for making calls AND receiving calls anywhere in the world?
A portable satellite phone gives you this ability. With it, you can make or receive calls from virtually any city and country in the world. As a bonus, a portable satellite phone will even work where there's no normal cell phone coverage: your portable satellite phone talks with satellites that orbit the earth instead of cell phone towers which must be closer than several miles away.
A portable satellite phone is also a better option that purchasing local SIM cards. A local SIM card will let you use a mobile phone like the locals do, but it will be expensive for outgoing calls, and you'll need to tell your friends at home your new number each time. In contrast, a portable satellite phone will always have the same phone number wherever you go. Give your friends, colleagues and family your portable satellite phone number, and they will be able to reach you wherever you travel!
A portable satellite phone is also nice to have with you during a travel emergency. You'll never need to borrow a phone if you encounter an emergency, and your portable satellite phone will even work if you are stranded far from a city. A good example is a mountain expedition or a rafting trip. A normal cell phone would never work, but you can easily chat with your child before they sleep while using a portable satellite phone.
You can even purchase a small solar unit to power your portable satellite phone almost indefinitely without needing to plug in. If you plan to travel extensively in rural areas without a traditional power grid, a portable satellite phone along with a solar charger is literally your only option for staying in touch via phone!
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Monday, March 23, 2009
What are Portable Satellite Phones?
How are portable satellite phones different from normal mobile phones?
Satellite phones allow you to make phone calls from virtually anywhere in the world. A normal mobile phone works by communicating with antennas which are typically no more than 1-5 miles away. These phones work best in populated areas because there is no shortage of cell tower antennas. They don't work at all where there isn't a cell tower nearby - I'm sure you've experienced this. In contrast, a satellite phone makes phone calls by communicating with a network of satellites orbiting the earth in space. These satellites are designed with orbits so that you can always make a call with a portable satellite phone whether you're in the middle of a desert or on a ship in the middle of the ocean.
Satellite phones tend to be bigger and more expensive because they must communicate many miles into space. They also tend to be more expensive since fewer people need them and because putting satellites in space is not cheap! Portable satellite phones work best outdoors and will often not work inside buildings at all. However, portable satellite phones are worth the additional weight and cost by allowing you to stay in contact in areas where there is no normal mobile phone coverage, and in areas where you don't have access to the normal mobile phone service.
If you are a business person who is in several different countries per week, a satellite phone may be helpful since you will be able to make calls from anywhere and receive calls anywhere with a single number. A backcountry hiker can use a satellite phone to call for help in the event of an emergency. It's common for sailors and ship crew to use satellite phones since there's no other easy way to communicate from the middle of the ocean. You can sign up for a monthly plan for your satellite phone, or buy a card containing a certain number of minutes.
A portable satellite phone allows you to stay in contact no matter where you travel in the world. You can make calls from wherever you are, and anyone in the world can you reach you at one number with a portable satellite phone. It may save you time by avoiding the local phone system when traveling to a foreign city, or a portable satellite phone may save your life when you're traveling and injured in a remote location!
Satellite phones allow you to make phone calls from virtually anywhere in the world. A normal mobile phone works by communicating with antennas which are typically no more than 1-5 miles away. These phones work best in populated areas because there is no shortage of cell tower antennas. They don't work at all where there isn't a cell tower nearby - I'm sure you've experienced this. In contrast, a satellite phone makes phone calls by communicating with a network of satellites orbiting the earth in space. These satellites are designed with orbits so that you can always make a call with a portable satellite phone whether you're in the middle of a desert or on a ship in the middle of the ocean.
Satellite phones tend to be bigger and more expensive because they must communicate many miles into space. They also tend to be more expensive since fewer people need them and because putting satellites in space is not cheap! Portable satellite phones work best outdoors and will often not work inside buildings at all. However, portable satellite phones are worth the additional weight and cost by allowing you to stay in contact in areas where there is no normal mobile phone coverage, and in areas where you don't have access to the normal mobile phone service.
If you are a business person who is in several different countries per week, a satellite phone may be helpful since you will be able to make calls from anywhere and receive calls anywhere with a single number. A backcountry hiker can use a satellite phone to call for help in the event of an emergency. It's common for sailors and ship crew to use satellite phones since there's no other easy way to communicate from the middle of the ocean. You can sign up for a monthly plan for your satellite phone, or buy a card containing a certain number of minutes.
A portable satellite phone allows you to stay in contact no matter where you travel in the world. You can make calls from wherever you are, and anyone in the world can you reach you at one number with a portable satellite phone. It may save you time by avoiding the local phone system when traveling to a foreign city, or a portable satellite phone may save your life when you're traveling and injured in a remote location!
Portable Satellite Phones
Welcome to Portable Satellite Phone. This site provides information and buying advice on satellite phones. It can be difficult to understand how to buy a satellite phone but I'll explain everything you need to know.
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