How Much Does a Satellite Phone Cost?

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      Satellite phones can be incredibly useful for people who travel to land or water areas that do not have access to other types of phones. Customers who need satellite phones have several major brands to choose from when selecting a phone and a service plan.

Significance

The cost of a satellite phone includes the initial expense of the phone itself. It also includes the cost for a monthly subscription, the minutes used for each call and any activation fees. Satellite phones range in price from about $700 to $1,300, depending on the brand, its features and the retailer that's selling it. Basic subscriptions generally cost about $50 per month, but these subscriptions--unlike cell phone plans--do not include any minutes or airtime. The cost of airtime varies widely depending on the type of call; it may range from $1 to $10 per minute. Activation fees for most satellite phones run about $40 to $50.

Types

The major brands of satellite phones include Inmarsat, Iridium and Thuraya. The Inmarsat IsatPhone is a handset style phone that costs about $700. The Iridium handset phone costs about $1,500, and Thuraya offers satellite phones for about $1,000 to $1,300. Minutes for the Inmarsat IsatPhone cost about $1 for voice calls to PSTN or cell phones, $2 for calls to most other Inmarsat phones, and $3 to Iridium or Thuraya satellite phones. Iridium charges about $1 per minute for calls to PSTN phones or voice mail, less than $1 per minute for calls to other Iridium phones and over $10 per minute for calls to other brands of satellite phones. Calls between Thuraya phones cost about $1 per minute, while calls to other brands of satellite phones cost about $6 per minute and calls to other types of phones cost about $1.50 per minute.

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