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Top Satellite
Phone Buys for
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Rex
Strong
Telecommunications Editor
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The
Most Important Thing To Know About Buying A Satellite
Phone
Buying
a satellite phone is like buying any other electronic
item. You need to identify your requirements, research
the products available and then get the best deal you
can find.
Here are some tips on finding the cheapest satellite
phones that you can.
The first thing you need to do is determine what you
want? Do you need global coverage including oceans, airspace
and the Polar Regions? Or just land coverage is enough?
Do you need global coverage or just a few continents?
Are you going to be traveling across the continents or
restricted largely to one continent?
Depending on your requirements there are different satellite
communication companies offering different plans. To
get the best satellite phone and satellite service plan
for your requirements you must be very clear on what
you want and what you don’t really need and are
willing to forego.
Secondly, find out all the available options. There
are many leading players in the satellite phone segment
like Iridium, Globalstar and Inmarsat to name a few.
Each satellite phone company has its own plans, coverage,
rates and satellite phone models and accessories. Depending
on your requirements research what each company has to
offer you and compare the rates. Once you have an idea
of what competitors are charging it gives you better
leverage to negotiate a cheaper deal.
Another great trick to getting cheap satellite phones
is to buy right after the holiday season. The holiday
season is when people want to buy gifts and indulge themselves
also. Sales are high and chances are low that you will
get cheap or bargain satellite phones. Right after the
holidays comes a lull in the retail market. Most customers
have overspent during the holidays and are ready to tighten
their belts. Vendors looking to make some off-season
sales are likely to sweeten the pot with freebies and
discounts. This is a great time to pick up some really
cheap satellite phones.
Shop online! Often online stores do not have to bear
the overheads of maintaining full time staff and inventory
associated with traditional shops. Hence, they are able
to forward part of their savings to customers in the
form of discounts and reduced rates. The Internet is
a great place to buy cheap satellite phones and satellite
phone accessories.
Buy a second hand satellite phone. Satellite phones
are built to stand harsh conditions. If you can find
a good, barely used satellite phone on auction sites
like Ebay.com then you may want to strike the deal. A
new satellite phone can cost you anywhere between $1500
and $2000. The same used satellite phone can be bought
for almost half the price at $800 - $1000! That’s
definitely a great deal! Of course, you want to check
the satellite phone first hand to see if it is in complete
working condition before you pay any money.
Thus, getting a discounted rate for satellite phones
and satellite phone accessories is all about shopping
smart. You need to be clear about what you want and then
buy it during the off-season. Also, older models of satellite
phones are generally cheaper than newer ones so that
can be another way to reduce your costs and save some
money.
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