Shopping for Satellite Phones
Since their adoption into the mainstraim, satellite phones have greatly revolutionized the way we think about communication, by making truly global telephone communication a convenient possibility. As it were, before the advent of satellite phones, global communication by telephone faced a lot of limitations due to the limited coverage of the various ordinary mobile and fixed telephone networks. And as we all know about the ordinary mobile telephone and fixed telephone network coverage, it tends to be missing just where it is likely to be needed most, like at the remotest spots. Satellite phones, which get their signal from satellites in the orbit on the other hand have a upper hand in terms of network coverage, and many satellite telephone networks boast of a trully global coverage.
In their early years, satellite phones were generally the preserve of government agencies and the big organizations which have global operations. Satellite phones and their associated equipment were then extremely expensive gadgets and only the government and deep pocketed international organizations could really afford them. Government agencies and the big organizations still continue to be big consumers of satellite telephony equipment and services, but satellite telephones are increasingly also finding appeal in the mass market. This is mainly due to advances in technology, which have made satellite phones more affordable and more convenient to use. And as many smaller organizations and individuals seek to buy satellite phones for various reasons, there seems to be an aridity of information on how and where to shop for the satellite phones, and where to get connectivity for them.
There are a number of companies that manufacture and provide connectivity for satellite phones. The oldest of these is Inmarsat, and Inmarsat satellite phones have been with us for over three decades. Inmarsat Satellite phones are backed by over a dozen satellites in the orbit, which translates to coverage almost all over globe. Another notable satellite phone network is Iridium. Iridium satellite phones have been with us for almost a decade now. The Iridium network is backed by a ‘constellation’ of over 60 satellites orbiting the world, and Iridium satellite phones enjoy what has been described as a perfectly global network coverage.
The Internet is a good place to start your shopping for a satellite phone. The beauty of the Internet market is its size and freedom (the Internet is really the biggest free market). The size of the Internet market gives you a huge variety of products for you to choose from, whilst its freedom removes the many barriers that traders in the other markets tend to impose in a bid to increase their profits. Apart from the Internet, you can also shop for satellite phones offline in the bigger communication equipment outlets to be found in most major cities all over the world. Some of the major satellite phone networks also sell the satellite phones to connect to their networks. These networks tend to have appointed representatives (dealers ) in almost every country in the globe.
Some of the features to look for in shopping for satellite phones include the size and weight of equipment needed, the price of the equipment and the guarantees it comes with. Nowadays it is possible to get reasonably sized and light satellite phones (some are actually the size of a conventional mobile phone). And most modern models are rather reasonably priced.