Buying sat phone in country A use in country B

[Boh999]

Hi!

If one were to purchase an Iridium 9555/9575 in Canada, bring it to Norway and use get the SIM cash card 300 min 12 months from Germany, does that work?

I.e. does it not matter:
1. where the unit is bought.
2. where the SIM card is bought.
3. where the refill for the SIM card is bought from?

Must the SIM card be bought in the same country as the refill etc?

Moreover, there is no such thing as "unlocked" Iridium Sat phones, right? One hardware - use globally!

Or, please?

Thanks,

 

[duncan99210]

Satellite phones only work with the satellites they were designed to work with, unlike mobiles phones which will work with all terrestrial networks, although some are locked to a particular service providers network: unlocking is a software problem. Satellite phones are designed only to work with one set of satellites and it's a hardware related: each satellite system uses different wavelengths and protocols so you, generally speaking, can't move from one system to another.
So, it doesn't matter where you buy your sim. Iridium won't care if it's a Canadian bought phone with a German bought sim being used by a Norwegian.

 

[Vegable]

If you're going to use the sim card outside the EU you don't have to pay VAT on it and the minutes you purchase when you buy it. Mailasail specifically asked me this when I bought my sim card and minutes last year.
Being out in the middle of the sea will probably mean you're out of EU territory.
Mike

 

[macd]

If you're going to use the sim card outside the EU...

The OP mentions bringing it to Norway, which is, of course, extra-EU. Norway no doubt has its own tax regulations, and its own VAT, which might have a bearing on cost, if not functionality.

Fiscal considerations aside, the very idea of a satphone not working (almost) everywhere seems a tad oxymoronic.

 

[Boh999]

Hi!

I just made up countries. It is in fact:
1. Buy in USA. Bring to Denmark (EU).
2. Buy SIM cash card in USA. Bring to Denmark (EU).
3. Sail to Caribbean. Use on the way, e.g. Biscay, Atlantic.
4. Sail back, use on the way.

3-4 during 12 months so looking at prepaid 300 mins 12 months cash card. The subscriptions seem very complex. Somebody said you can always call for help or be called to, if minutes run out? I calculated usage to around 200 minutes. Will not talk a lot, will be SMS with weather from somebody we know, and download GRIB files, calculatet once/day on passages, could be less.

Am I correct assuming. to "double-verify" (lots of money involved):
1. Hardware is global. "Unlocked" is bogus.
2. It doesn't matter, at all, where I purchase the SIM cash card, please?

I am investigating to buy from eBay.com and possibly collect in USA. Safe to buy new or pre-owned this way? Or amazon.com

Cheers

 

[duncan99210]

Hi!

I just made up countries. It is in fact:
1. Buy in USA. Bring to Denmark (EU).
2. Buy SIM cash card in USA. Bring to Denmark (EU).
3. Sail to Caribbean. Use on the way, e.g. Biscay, Atlantic.
4. Sail back, use on the way.

3-4 during 12 months so looking at prepaid 300 mins 12 months cash card. The subscriptions seem very complex. Somebody said you can always call for help or be called to, if minutes run out? I calculated usage to around 200 minutes. Will not talk a lot, will be SMS with weather from somebody we know, and download GRIB files, calculatet once/day on passages, could be less.

Am I correct assuming. to "double-verify" (lots of money involved):
1. Hardware is global. "Unlocked" is bogus.
2. It doesn't matter, at all, where I purchase the SIM cash card, please?

I am investigating to buy from eBay.com and possibly collect in USA. Safe to buy new or pre-owned this way? Or amazon.com

Cheers

"Unlocked" simply doesn't apply. A satellite phone will only work with the network that it's designed to work with: an Iridium phone won't talk to an Inmarsat satellite and vice versa. So it's not bogus just not applicable.
The SIM card is locked to the satellite system you're going to use. An Iridium SIM in an Inmarsat phone won't work.. As far as I know it makes no difference where you buy the SIM. However, there are registration formalities to go through (I rented an Iridium GO for a transat and had to do an online registration for it before the system would allow the GO to access the satellite) that might be country specific. As I understand it, the SIM doesn't come with minutes loaded to it, rather you register the SIM online and then add minutes to it using your credit/debit card.

 

[Boh999]

Cheers. For the record, I never meant to use an Iridium handset with Inmarsat satellites I know better... I hope.

I am talking pure Iridium. ARC recommends Iridium so I'll go with that. Inmarsat seems bad for GRIB downloading.

They have Inmarsat on the Volvo Ocean Race boats though. But not handsets...it's some kind of funky dome, bet they get ADSL speeds.