Satalite phones Iridium 9575

[dullbird]

Hey guys

Work is looking to get a couple of satalite phones for some of our more regional workers..

they have looked in to them and have come up with the Iridium 9575..

do any of you have this phone?

if so can I have your thoughts good and bad on them also can I ask what provider your using and the cost please

whats the coverage like etc etc

[wrinklearthur]

Hey guys

Work is looking to get a couple of satellite phones for some of our more regional workers..
they have looked in to them and have come up with the Iridium 9575..

if so can I have your thoughts good and bad on them also can I ask what provider your using and the cost please

what's the coverage like etc etc

Ref; Pivotel Iridium 9575

Iridium Australian Coverage
Pivotel's Iridium Australian Coverage includes all areas of Australian national territory shown, excluding Antartica, and 200NM off-shore.

Calls made from within the Australian national territory are charged at the applicable local mobile satellite rates. Calls made from outside the Australian national territory are charged at the applicable Value-Added Services rate.

As long as they are used in the open they work ok the majority of the time.

They work into low earth orbit Iridium satellites, so they don't suffer anything like the latency that the phones connected to the geostationary satellites do.

[walc100]

Very happy with the 9575 we also have about 45 of the 9555 and all are very good from a voice quality and coverage - iridium is best for us and while you'll get drop outs etc it doesn't take long for a new sat to resolve the temp black spot you might be in even when stationary.

I use a Beam Drive dock and my normal phone diverts to the Pivot tel any time its out of range great call costs incoming as its the same as an Aust Mobile number, the outgoing isn't bad and you have the control on that! It suprises many people when they ask where i am as my everyday number diverts thru nd i'm is some very remote location!

Seemless!

[oxley2903]

Hi,

I have used iridum phones in the past for work and found them ok. Don't know this particular model. Whilst your question is about Iridium there are others you could look at also.

Thuraya and INMARSAT

Ive owned a Thuraya in the past but now use the INMARSAT InSATPro. Until recently the INMARSAT had a plan for using it like a prepaid with credits being usable for up to 2 years. They have changed it slightly which I know the company reseller of airtime I bought the phone through weren't too happy about it as they marketed them like a prepaid phone. www.tc.com.au in Silverwater are extremely helpful and have a NOC (Network Operations Centre) that you can call for any issues with the phone or access to the satellite constallation 24/7.

[goingbush]

Thats strange, I have the Isatphone PRO (which is excellent) from Allsatphones - aka TC-communications and the prepaid sim seems well and truly alive.

ALLSATPHONES PTY LTD - IsatPhone Pro

I bought a new 100 unit prepaid recharge a few months ago

Even tho they use a geostationary sat I notice no obvious latency issues, some calls its as if the other party is next door !!

[oxley2903]

Hi guys,

Just checked again and the only slight change was that the airtime credits don't have the length of time they used.

my apologises for being a bit misleading.

Had to check my email from TC and was relying on the grey matter instead.

Regards
Tony

[dromader driver]

I did some testing with Thuraya in Torres Strait and gave up. Went to Motorola 9500 (I think. ) I had an Inmarsat which was the size of a third generation mobile phone in PNG and it was very good.

[dullbird]

Thanks for your comments guys but i'm asking specifically about that particular model whether you have bought other models thats really kind of irellevant...

beacuse they have already sort of made up their minds on this model I dont have any input to their choice im merely trying to get information on it

The only thing I'am interested in that you will have different is the carriers your with and the cost of calls etc because thats the only thing they havent worked out yet is who they are going to go with carrier wise.

[newhue]

Dullbird I think they are all pretty similar. I think it's what margin the reseller puts on is the only difference. I'm with MGLSAT. Basically $1/min, 50txt. I am on a post paid plan of $29 a month with $10 of call included. It stays that way unless I happen to call an Iridium phone, then it goes to $4/m. I see MGL don't post their pricing so no points for them.
It appeared to me the calls cost didn't get better even if I was spending $200 a month from memory. Pre paid were dearer, but only in the sense the credit expired. And though we are blowing $19 a month is was better than the cheapest $25/mth prepaid.
In general Iridium were a dearer, but more so in the txt, message bank, call forward side of things.

I'm sure if you email MGL they will send you call pricing.

Why have they chose Iridium?

[walc100]

Thanks for your comments guys but i'm asking specifically about that particular model whether you have bought other models thats really kind of irellevant...

beacuse they have already sort of made up their minds on this model I dont have any input to their choice im merely trying to get information on it

The only thing I'am interested in that you will have different is the carriers your with and the cost of calls etc because thats the only thing they havent worked out yet is who they are going to go with carrier wise.

9575 is clearly the pick of the Iridium phones, water proof etc, in built GPS that can be utilised with a tracking system, good options from an australian company Beam being carkits and antennas

There are plenty of airtime sellers for internation air time that covers Australia but incoming calls are dialed via iridium's own international prefix so $$$ for the person calling the sat phone or airtime thru Pivotel where you get an Australian Mobile number so same cost for people dialing the sat phone as any mobile number and then out going calls dependant on your plan.

Matthew