Reviving the Globalstar vs. Iridium debate

[Quixote]

I am on the cusp of deciding which satellite phone to get and I have been going through some old threads on this. Our first choice was GlobalStar but then I came across this bulletin:

http://www.outfittersatellite.com/globalstar_status.htm

Is anyone familiar with these GlobalStar problems? Is Iridium the only valid choice?

 

[rmarz]

I am on the cusp of deciding which satellite phone to get and I have been going through some old threads on this. Our first choice was GlobalStar but then I came across this bulletin:

http://www.outfittersatellite.com/globalstar_status.htm

Is anyone familiar with these GlobalStar problems? Is Iridium the only valid choice?

I currently have a 1700 that I traded my 1600 in for. I have been using Globalstar for about five years and up until the recent problems outlined in the bulletin I was very happy with the service.

I have chosen to ride out the problems rather than switch in the hopes that the service improves as the new satellites come on line. We use Globalstar phones where I work and the issues seem to result in dropped calls and no connections but patience and persistence seems to win in the end and we get through.

I am not sure what your plans are for using the phone, but consider the coverage area for Globalstar is much less than Iridium.

 

[Quixote]

I am not sure what your plans are for using the phone, but consider the coverage area for Globalstar is much less than Iridium.

The planned usage is twofold:

1) Emergency purposes where there is no cell signal
2) To audioblog in areas where we do not have internet connectivity for extended periods of time.

We will be using the phone mostly in North and South America in the near future.

 

[rmarz]

The planned usage is twofold:

1) Emergency purposes where there is no cell signal
2) To audioblog in areas where we do not have internet connectivity for extended periods of time.

We will be using the phone mostly in North and South America in the near future.

I have used Globalstar only in the contiguous United States, mostly in the southwest. It will work in place of a cell phone most of the time but needs a clear view of the sky.

I have used the Internet access with limited success; my biggest problem was slow speeds and again dropped connections. I consider the Internet feature to be minimally useful to check email.

Have you considered a Personal Rescue Beacon for the emergencies?