Satellite Phone Rental

One of my friends is thinking about using a satellite phone system
to stay in touch during an upcoming trip. He’s zeroed in on the Qualcomm Globalstar GSP-1600, but hasn’t decided if he’s going to rent the unit or buy it. This particular satellite phone is designed to provide Internet and email access with the optional data kit. While it’s not superfast access(9600 k), it’ll get him connected.

It seems like rental might be the best choice, as my buddy won’t need to use the satellite phone for an extended period of time. But he’s also looking into the option of purchasing a used unit.

The per minute charges are the big catch with satellite phone rental … it’s cheap until you actually have to use the thing. The weekly rental fees are deceivingly low. But spend an extended amount of time on the phone and you’ll shell out a good bit more by going the rental route, considering the excessively high per-minute charges.