A few months ago we went ahead and bit the bullet and purchased a used satellite phone to take along on our overland camping adventures. A number of factors, including having older parents with health issues back home, led us to purchase a used sat phone and modest service plan. We’ll get to which one we ultimately chose to go with later, but first let’s take a quick look at what the main options are when choosing a satellite phone and service plan for overlanding in North America.
The Three Main Satellite Phone Service Providers – Pros and Cons
Inmarsat
Inmarsat satellite phone service is used worldwide by mariners, the airline industry and others who need reliable, worldwide coverage. The system uses a constellation of 3 powerful satellites, orbiting the earth, high above the equator.
Inmarsat is known for reasonably good call quality, including a lack of dropped calls, and features service plans for as low as $39.99/mo. There’s a catch though. Because the satellites Inmarsat phones utilizes are high above the equator, you may have a hard time getting a signal from them at higher latitudes, and in deep canyons or other areas where you may not get the best view of the southern sky.
For our overlanding trips, having the ability to reliably make and receive calls in mountainous terrain, and in places way up north, was important. For this reason, not cost, we chose not to buy an Inmarsat satellite phone.
Globalstar
Globalstar satellite phone service is a relatively low-cost alternative that’s very popular with travelers and outdoor explorers. The Spot Global phones utilize Globalstar, but if you’ve read reviews about reliability in some parts of North America, it seems that the service is not all that’s it’s cracked up to be. (Spot no longer appears to be selling satellite phones using Globalstar, only their messenger devices, hmm, wonder why?) Also, Globalstar coverage is fringe to nonexistent in parts of the Pacific Northwest and Alaska, which we’re eager to explore more of.
Despite a relatively low phone cost – of only around $375, and service plans starting at $49/mo – we decided to give Globalstar satellite phone service a pass until they get some of the kinks worked out, and hopefully add some satellites to cover Alaska and the far north. Globalstar satellite phones may be a good choice for overland communications if you are only planning to travel in the lower 48 states though.
Iridium
Iridium is the same satellite network that our Garmin InReach messenger device uses. It’s true that at one point the company that put up the first Iridium satellites was in bankruptcy, but a new owner has improved and expanded the system. The second generation Iridium satellite constellation includes 66 operational units that offer near global coverage, without the “southern sky” problems experience by Inmarsat. There are also 9 more “backup” satellites orbiting the earth, ready to be activated if others fail.
We chose to go with an Iridium 9555 satellite phone, which we purchased used on eBay for under $500. For our service plan, we went with an Iridium Go – $55.99/mo plan with 10 minutes of talk time, with additional minutes costing $1.49. At this price per minute, we won’t be talking long, yet we can cancel the plan when we’re done traveling, with no penalty. So far we’re pretty happy with how our phone works, but service does have the occasional glitch. To ensure good call quality, we pay close attention to the signal meter and move to an open area before making a call.
Because the Iridium system “hands off” your call every 55 seconds or so to another satellite, a hiccup sometimes occurs. A few years ago these glitches were reportedly quite commonplace, however they’re much rarer these days. Still, it’s best to keep calls as brief as possible – which we do anyway, because of airtime cost.
Note: In the Gila Forest of New Mexico we couldn’t seem to make a call longer than a minute or two this past summer, despite good signal strength. We didn’t experience this problem in Utah, Arizona or Colorado though. We’re curious to see if this was just an intermittent problem when we go back to that area again next year.
Beware of The Fine Print!
As with all satellite phone plans, there are often hidden “gotchas”. One of these is incoming calls, which are listed as “free” under our current Iridium Go plan. The fine print below, shows that the caller pays a very high rate, if they don’t use a “toll bypass number”. When they do use that “bypass number” we pay $1.50 per minute for incoming calls, so just be sure to read the fine print before using your satellite phone.
Toll-bypass number (2-stage) is a public access number that allows callers to bypass the local telephone company’s high international telephone rates. Use USA 2-stage access to call an Iridium sat phone. Calls placed using this number are charged to the receiver at $1.50 per minute.
Incoming calls placed to an Iridium phone directly by dialing +8816-XXXX-XXXX from a landline or mobile phone are FREE to the recipient. Instead, they are charged to the caller by their local telephone services provider AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon, Boost USA at premium international rates. These charges may range from $6 – $10 per minute. Use a Toll-bypass number to call an Iridium phone to prevent high costs.
Prepaid Satellite Phone Plans – A Good Alternative, But With Some Drawbacks
For many in the overland community, having a satellite phone that they can activate just before an off-road expedition is a good solution that can save some money. Just be aware that with some of these prepaid plans, once you run out of minutes, you’re done talking – until you can get back to civilization and log on to refill your card. With the Iridium GO plan we chose, we can go month to month, with no contract for $55.99 a month.
Satellite Phone Technology Is Always Evolving
Satellite phone technology and service plans are always evolving, so be sure to do your own research before purchasing an expensive phone and locking yourself into a contract. A new type of sat phone, which pairs with your cell phone, is the Iridium Go. This device creates a central hub where up to five phones can access the Iridium network for worldwide calling from anywhere you roam.
Is A Satellite Phone Really Worth It For Overlanding?
If you’re going to be spending any amount of time far off the pavement, in remote areas where there’s no cell phone coverage, at least one person in your party should probably have a sat phone. Our satellite messenger device, a Garmin InReach, works fine for sending and receiving short text messages, but if we really had to have a detailed conversation with someone in the outside world – about how to deal with a serious injury for example – or even solving a crisis at home, doing so by delayed text messages would be awkward.
In terms of the costs associated with off-road travel, including equipment cost, gas, etc., a $55 per month satellite phone plan that’s month-to-month is probably not going to break the bank for most people and it could even save a life.
For more about satellite messenger devices see Satellite Messengers vs. EPIRB’s.
