IsatPhone Pro
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Inmarsat brings prepaid model to satellite phone calls
If you need a satellite phone, then you need a satellite phone. There's no getting around it. Researchers, government contractors and workers in remote locations around the globe rely on their near universal (and extremely expensive) coverage to keep in touch while out in the field. That has normally meant pricey, long-term contracts that lock users into service much like our nation's cellular providers. Satellite operator Inmarsat is finally providing an alternative for those that need truly global coverage (specifically, here in the US) by offering prepaid voice plans to owners of its IsatPhone Pro, BGAN, FleetBroadband and FleetPhone devices. The new plans, while no less expensive we're sure, should prove to be quite attractive to those that need satellite service for only short periods of time -- say, just a few months. The new plans will be available starting September 1st for those who want sat-phone service without the commitment. Check out the PR after the break. [Photo courtesy of Tarquin Binary]
Inmarsat's new phone trialed en route to June launch, definitely won't be mistaken for a RAZR
If you live your life one oil rig, one Siberian gas field, or one Antarctic base at a time, odds are you're precisely the target demographic for Inmarsat's new handset being rolled out later this year. Oddly, despite the company's decades-long history of providing satellite phone service, the IsatPhone Pro is apparently the first model "purpose-built for its network" with awesome features like Bluetooth, text messaging, email support, and GPS capability that can be injected into outgoing text messages (you know, for when you finally strike oil somewhere in the Mariana Trench). Anyhow, the company has announced that the first calls have now been successfully made using the handset on the way to retail availability this June -- but if you have to ask for a price (either for the phone or a per-minute rate), odds are it's not for you.
