One of the questions we get asked daily is Will my Telstra Mobile Sim card work in my Iridium satellite phone?
The answer is perhaps, you see when Telstra had 2G Sim cards you used to be able to place your Sim card into your iridium phone and the bulk of time it worked. Now they have 3G and moving to 4G Sim cards, which implies that we have seen only a restricted number of sim cards work in the new iridium 9555 satellite phone.
So watch out the blogs and forums out there that are very misleading, as they are out of date and they return to the days of the iridium 950 5A, where you used to be well placed to use your Telstra sim card in your satellite phone, without having a satellite phone contract. However since 3G and now 4G and the Sim cards themselves change size and clients let us know that after seven years that less than 50% of the time that putting your old Telstra Sim card in your satellite phone basically works.
Would you like to take the danger on top of that Telstra airtime charge, you not only pay 2 greenbacks per 30 seconds plus a flag fall, around 50 cents each time you connect, they also charge you for incoming calls to the tune of seven dollars per 30 seconds to get calls.
Why would you bother, Telstra are not that dumb they track you using the Mobile Sim which has satellite phone calls and charge you in an appropriate way. You see Telstra are basically a reseller for iridium and iridium airtime so if they're paying satellite phone rates and do not think they are going to pass them on to you.
So when talking of whether you would like to use your iridium satellite phone prepaid card or your iridium post paid airtime contract versus using your standard cellular Mobile Sim card, the choice in my view is straightforward.
You've invested for a purpose and the reason is reasonably doubtless safety, if that's the case then do not waste your time by using the Telstra pre paid Sim from your standard cell-phone, invest in a prepaid card or go on contract, I assure you it's The Peter Principle that the day on which you need that telephone to work is the day that you are in difficulty do not do it for just one or two hundred bucks.
The answer is perhaps, you see when Telstra had 2G Sim cards you used to be able to place your Sim card into your iridium phone and the bulk of time it worked. Now they have 3G and moving to 4G Sim cards, which implies that we have seen only a restricted number of sim cards work in the new iridium 9555 satellite phone.
So watch out the blogs and forums out there that are very misleading, as they are out of date and they return to the days of the iridium 950 5A, where you used to be well placed to use your Telstra sim card in your satellite phone, without having a satellite phone contract. However since 3G and now 4G and the Sim cards themselves change size and clients let us know that after seven years that less than 50% of the time that putting your old Telstra Sim card in your satellite phone basically works.
Would you like to take the danger on top of that Telstra airtime charge, you not only pay 2 greenbacks per 30 seconds plus a flag fall, around 50 cents each time you connect, they also charge you for incoming calls to the tune of seven dollars per 30 seconds to get calls.
Why would you bother, Telstra are not that dumb they track you using the Mobile Sim which has satellite phone calls and charge you in an appropriate way. You see Telstra are basically a reseller for iridium and iridium airtime so if they're paying satellite phone rates and do not think they are going to pass them on to you.
So when talking of whether you would like to use your iridium satellite phone prepaid card or your iridium post paid airtime contract versus using your standard cellular Mobile Sim card, the choice in my view is straightforward.
You've invested for a purpose and the reason is reasonably doubtless safety, if that's the case then do not waste your time by using the Telstra pre paid Sim from your standard cell-phone, invest in a prepaid card or go on contract, I assure you it's The Peter Principle that the day on which you need that telephone to work is the day that you are in difficulty do not do it for just one or two hundred bucks.
About the Author:
John Whitley Director of Satellite Phone Sales and Rent A Satellite Phone is a consultant in every aspect of satellite phone rental, hire, parts and accessories. Visit www.satellitephonesales.com.au today to learn more