Are satellite phones any good?

Buzby

Em - we seem to be talking about different things - the OP is wanting a satellite 'phone' and use this in conjunction with BB. I use Inmarsat for voice and data - last time I looked KA-SAT services where prohibited from offering PSTN-like services.

All my outbound calls originate from New York and I have a +1 (212) number for incoming calls. Is this what you want?

Colin_London

Buzby wrote: »

Em - we seem to be talking about different things - the OP is wanting a satellite 'phone' and use this in conjunction with BB. I use Inmarsat for voice and data - last time I looked KA-SAT services where prohibited from offering PSTN-like services.

All my outbound calls originate from New York and I have a +1 (212) number for incoming calls. Is this what you want?

No you'd just get a VoIP account from the likes of Sipgate to use over the satellite internet connection, and have a local UK number.

They are not prohibited from allowing this - in fact they actually mention this as the solution for voice in their FAQs (Tooway & SES recommend Skype).

I have Sipgate on my DECT handset as well as my landline as it is cheaper for certain calls. Performs better than my scratchy landline and functionally identical to a standard phone.

vet8

BT have quoted at least £2,000 for digging up the drive which will disrupt all the underground cables and drains. It will be considerably more if they install 3 poles and they have said that all the neighbours will object to the poles anyway.

The other problem is that we live on an unadopted road and the BT engineer said they would only dig the road if they had written permission from the road owner. We have no idea at all who owns the road, that has been lost in the mist of time, so that will also be a problem.

We are in a rural area, but only 30 miles from London in north Hampshire There is broadband in the village, but dreadful mobile reception everywhere. I am just looking for the cheapest reasonable alternative to paying several grand.