Satellite Phone Service Plans Buyer’s Guide For 2023

Satellite phones provide a communication lifeline no matter where you go in the world. You may think you already have this covered with your cell phone, but that’s not actually true.

In this satellite phone service plan buyer’s guide, we’ll discuss the necessity of a satellite phone and then break down the costs of owning and using a satellite phone with a side-by-side comparison from the top service providers. We’ll also provide you with the information you need to determine what kind of plan would work best for you.

Satellite phones give peace of mind if an emergency were ever to arise. When a natural disaster occurs, terrestrial cell towers and electrical lines are often the first to go down and all communication is lost. Satellite phones can literally be a lifesaver in these situations.

Business as Usual, Wherever You Go. Industries typically known for operating off the grid such as oil and gas, shipping, construction, and aviation have historically been up against challenges where keeping everyday communication was concerned. Now, conducting worldwide businesses and staying connected to the mainland doesn’t have to skip a beat.

Travel the world and stay connected. Cell phones don’t work with off the grid travel. Traveling this way can be freeing, but safety is compromised when a cell connection is lost with no line of communication available to the outside world. Additionally, it’s always nice to have the option to call back home when you need to hear a familiar voice!

The Way Satellite Phones Work

Unlike cell phones, satellite phones require a line-of-site to the sky to obtain a signal for the phone to operate. This allows the orbiting satellite and phone to connect.These phones will not work indoors such as a retirement home or a stateroom on a cruise. However, they will work anywhere outside. And if you have a docking station and extended antenna they can be used indoors. Buildings, mountains, and forested areas can affect the signal of a satellite phone negatively, so it’s always best to find an area where the sky is fully visible.

When choosing a satellite phone, you want to look at the features of the phone itself, but it’s also important to know what kind of coverage you’ll get with a particular service provider and also know if it’s the most cost-effective choice for you. While satellite phone service providers offer a range of plans, some have more options than others.

Before choosing a phone and plan it’s always a good idea to consider:

Your phone choice: Think about the kind of options you need in a phone. You’ll want to take into consideration size, ruggedness, battery life, etc.

How wide the service provider’s coverage extends: Some providers, such as Iridium, can be used worldwide, whereas Globalstar will work in all the lower 48 states and more, but with some areas of the world out of reach.

The quality of the phone service: This is definitely something important to keep in mind. A phone is only as good as the network it runs on. You need reliable service with clear voice quality so you never have to worry about not being able to reach someone no matter where you go or what kind of weather you may encounter. Iridium, for example, utilizes a constellation of 66 interconnected low-earth-orbit satellites to ensure your phone will work no matter what.

The plans that are offered: Before making a phone purchase, make sure there are plans available for that phone that are within your budget and make sense for how often you’ll be using your satellite phone.

The big players in the satellite phone space are Iridium, Inmarsat, Globalstar and Thuraya. Below we will extensively cover what phone plans are available, but we also suggest you check out each of their coverage maps as well as the satellite phones you can use with each service.