Panama Satelite Phone

Tools of the Travelgeek: Voice and Data Devices

Remember, the cellular carriers in the United States are in business to maximize their profits first; keeping call and data costs low is definitely not in their best interest. Some foreign cellular carriers have very high rates as well but even in those areas of the world the costs to you can be minimized if you know how to play the game.

In this article I will describe what I carry to remain connected, and how I exploit hardware, software and service offerings to my advantage. This is only a summary so I am, of necessity, leaving out a lot of detail and fine point. All of this information will be detailed in my upcoming book so that you can travel the world without worrying about coming home to a bill of several thousand dollars for making a few phone calls, accessing the Internet, and sending those great photographs home to your friends and family.

Just to put this in perspective, if you email one image that you take with your smartphone camera, and its size is an average of 1.5 megabyte, it may cost you up to $45 to send it unless you have an unlimited data plan or one that affords reduced rates. I am often amused when I watch people chatting away on their cell phones while they are enjoying their vacation on . What they do not realize is that those calls may be costing upwards of $4.99 per minute, but that post-vacation surprise awaits them when they receive their phone bill upon their return.

On the Holland America Rotterdam, for example, the average traveler would pay the highest rate of $4.99 per minute. My costs for communications on the same ship is free (with Skype or Fring and my unlimited data plan) to about $1.05 per minute, depending upon what link I use (satellite or 2G broadband VoIP connection).

I’m sure that some of you will think that I carry too much gear and that you only need one phone to accomplish the same result. Unfortunately this is not the case. In my world you must be willing to do a little more work to save a lot of money and to experience better connectivity.

or Global Service for Mobiles, is the world standard mobile format, used in more than 220 countries. CDMA, which is the predominant format in North America, is employed in about twenty countries. If you have a Verizon or Sprint CDMA-only phone, then your roaming capability is severely limited in most parts of the world, and you generally will be unable to receive any email, other than SMS (Short Message Service) on CDMA networks. You will not be able to use a CDMA phone on any GSM system because the transmission protocols and frequencies are not compatible.

Tesacom is First Business to Have Iridium License in Panama ...

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina, May 19, 2011 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Tesacom, the leader in telecommunication solutions for remote locations within Latin America, today announced the company was granted licenses in the Republic of Panama under which Tesacom can provide and sell Iridium voice and data communications in the country. Tesacom is the first company to have a license for use of Iridium in Panama.

This license enables Tesacom the ability to better address the growing commercial enterprise market and government demand for Iridium products, services and applications within Panama.

Iridium is the only communication company to offer truly global, mobile coverage. As an Iridium distributor, Tesacom is now able to offer the complete Iridium voice and data solutions and services portfolio within Panama, including: the Iridium 9555 satellite phone; the Iridium OpenPort® broadband maritime service that provides three separate phone lines and a high-speed data line; and two-way machine-to-machine (M2M) data transceivers for remote data monitoring and asset tracking and management.

In addition, Tesacom recently developed and certified VKI Tesacom for use on the Iridium global network. The VKI Tesacom system provides integrated voice, data, email and vessel monitoring solutions for the maritime sector with attractive pricing for the Panamanian market.

"This announcement reinforces the strong relationship we have maintained with Iridium since 2007, as well as our commitment to the region," affirmed Jose Sanchez Elia, CEO of Tesacom. "Acquiring this license enables us to expand the Iridium footprint, bringing advanced voice and data communications into Panama. Tesacom's first-rate customer service and after-sales service in Spanish, Portuguese and English, makes us uniquely qualified to serve end-customers within the region."

"Tesacom's innovative approach and deep market knowledge is an example of how our ever-expanding ecosystem of partners is extending the reach of Iridium around the globe and to an even broader distribution," said Ted O'Brien, vice president and general manager, the Americas, Iridium. "Together we are advancing business communications in Panama, where there is a demand for reliable, effective and continuous communications in the maritime sector, along with agriculture and the country's many other burgeoning industries."

Iridium voice and data communications provided through Tesacom will serve Panama's shipping, agriculture, manufacturing and mining industries. The Iridium network will continue to serve Panama well into the future with Iridium NEXT, its next-generation network expected to begin launching in 2015.

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