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Frequently Asked Questions
Satellite Phones

In this section we list some commonly asked question and answers regarding satellite phone and service. If you do not see your question listed here, please also view our other FAQ sections or feel free to contact us.

What is the coverage area of a Satellite phone?

Will I have a US number?

Are incoming calls really free?

Will I have access to the Internet?

How is the reception?

Mow much does the satellite phone weight?


What is the coverage area of a Satellite phone?

You will have global coverage with our Satellite phone service with the following geographical exceptions: South Korea, North Sri Lanka, Hungary and Poland.

Will I have a US number?

No you will have an Iridium phone number with your Satellite phone and callers may need to dial an international access code to reach you. Telestial will also provide you will a US phone number which will then prompt callers to enter your Iridium satellite phone number as a PIN, however you as the subscriber will then be billed for the incoming call.

Are incoming calls really free?

Yes, however the caller may pay $2+/minute in long distance charges to connect to your satellite phone number. Telestial will also provide you will a US phone number which will then prompt callers to enter your satellite phone number as a PIN, however you as the Iridium subscriber will then be billed for the incoming call.

Will I have access to the Internet?

You may rent or purchase a data kit for your satellite phone, which will provide access through the Iridium ISP at 9.6 kbps.

How is the reception?

Reception is generally good but may vary by day and location. The more open sky you have available the better your signal. Clouds and foliage do not necessarily provide a significant hindrance to signal availability but a solar flare will. Finally, you should not expect to use your satellite phone with an artificial structure over your head.

Mow much does the satellite phone weight?

For a satellite phone rental the Motorola 9500 weighs in at 1 pound and is about the size of a cordless phones. For a satellite phone purchase the Motorola 9505 weighs 3 ounces less then the 9500 and occupies about 20% less space.


For more information on GSM and international cell phone service you may want to review the following links:

You may want to check out http://www.telestial.com/getting_started.php for an overview and benefits of GSM, GSM cell phones and service.

If your curious about the benefits of prepaid SIM cards then this link titled "Why Prepay" is a great place to start: http://www.telestial.com/prepaid.htm

Other FAQ pages of interest include:

GSM Mobile Phones

Satellite phones and areas outside of cellular coverage

Calling cards and how save even more money while abroad.

The Return-Call service, which is a bit more complicated then the calling card but can save you more money for the extra effort.

....and finally thee is the Glossary.

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