AffordableMarineSatelliteBroadband

In this guide, we explore the relative advantages of: • Iridium Handheld phones like the 9555 or 9575• Iridium Pilot Satellite Broadband• Inmarsat FleetBroadband 150!We consider: • Satellite hardware differences and pricing• Voice services and pricing• Data speeds and pricing!!

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Each satellite phone and service has a place.!Which one is right for you?

!The satellite industry is always changing - new hardware, new pricing, new services, and new devices. For years, cost-conscious cruisers and other recreational boaters have looked to handheld satellite phones in docking kits as the best choice and thought of satellite broadband terminals as systems for commercial mariners.!With the introduction of the Iridium Pilot and new airtime pricing, the options have changed. Now, anyone who wants to surf the web or make calls for more than a few minutes per month should consider a satellite broadband terminal.

Introduction

Satellite Systems Overview Hardware Options You should consider the array of choices depending on your budget and needs, but hardware configuration will come down to three basic alternatives.!• Handheld satellite phones in docks• Inmarsat FleetBroadband Satellite Broadband Terminal• Iridium Pilot Satellite Broadband Terminal!

Option 1: Handheld Phones in Docks Iridium handheld phones in docking stations are a good

choice for those who are looking for voice, email, and weather and want to pay a minimum for a global phone. Globalstar and Inmarsat also offer handheld phones, but we’ll use Iridium handheld (9555 and 9575) pricing in our examples. !

While a handheld will serve basic needs, any cruiser can appreciate that the weather doesn’t always lend itself

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to standing on the deck with your phone and your laptop, so a docking station is highly recommended in any case. This convenient housing for the satellite phone protects it so that it is not rolling all over when connected to the external antenna. Of course, you can still remove the handheld phone from the dock for portability.!A typical handheld hardware configuration will cost $2,100 to $2,500. !Permanently Installed Terminals Permanently installed on board, satellite broadband terminals like the Iridium Pilot and the Inmarsat FleetBroadband provide the speed and low costs necessary to use the web. Not only that, but they can also attach to standard and cordless phones, allowing for more portability on the boat. Option 2: Inmarsat FleetBroadband FleetBroadband 150 terminals and service remain a good choice for commercial vessels and yacht owners who can afford the higher

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fees in exchange for faster data rates. !FleetBroadband hardware and service are extremely reliable, and they offer consistent 150-400 kbps service (depending on the terminal) with reasonable rates if you’re willing to pay higher monthly fees on a continuous basis. Most cruisers, however will dislike the relatively high monthly fees required.!A typical hardware configuration will cost $6,500. !Option 3: Iridium Pilot The Iridium Pilot is a satellite voice and broadband data terminal for the maritime market, using the Iridium OpenPort broadband network. !Iridium completely re-engineered and re-designed their popular broadband unit (previously known as the OpenPort) to bring the Pilot to market in 2012. !The Pilot now boasts all of the features cruisers loved about the OpenPort, with increased reliability and new airtime pricing options.

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In fact, the Iridium Pilot offers the most affordable voice and data airtime costs for any cruiser who surfs the web or uses more than 500 minutes of total usage. Keep on reading, we’ll show you why.!A typical hardware configuration for the Iridium Pilot will cost $4,600 - $5,000.

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Satellite Service Pricing Now that we’ve seen the system options, let’s look at how each system charges for service. Satellite service pricing is structured very differently from cellular plans, and often varies widely even between two products from the same provider (as is the case with Iridium). !Iridium 9555/9575 Rate Structure Iridium (and all other) handheld phones charge by the minute regardless of whether you’re using data or voice (sometimes this translates into “unit” billing, although it’s closely related to per-minute charges). So a the popular 500 minute prepaid card gives you 500 minutes of either voice or data, good for up to 12 months.

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$100 - $150!Per Megabyte

$1.44!Per Minute Iridium Handheld!

Rate Chart

!Breaking this down into per-minute charges results in an airtime rate of $1.44 per minute.!Airtime plans for handhelds are billed based on increments and connecting costs one increment (20 seconds worth of airtime). Talk for slightly over one increment? You’ll be charged for two. Incremental billing ends up costing a lot in the long-run, especially for those who use low-data, high-frequency activities like emailing.!Iridium Pilot Rate Structure Iridium Pilot is intended as a “postpaid” service. That is, just like most home phones, you pay a flat monthly fee for access, then you pay for the minutes or megabytes that you use by the end of the month. !But most dealers won’t tell you that you can use Iridium GoChat prepaid cards to get the

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very best airtime deal, essentially making the most out of the system by bypassing a pricey postpaid plan, and sticking to a mix of pre-paid GoChat cards and bare-bones postpaid plan. !Consider this: Iridium makes prepaid “GoChat” voice cards available for about half of their postpaid rates. You can buy a 90 minute GoChat card for $54, giving you a rate of $0.60 per minute.!While voice on the Pilot is half the price of a handheld, data is where it really gets good. Data rates on the Pilot are about 90% less than handheld rates. !For the standard Pilot speed of 32 Kpbs, you pay $12.42 per MB. Upgrades to 64 or 128 Kbps are available for a slightly higher per megabyte rate. !!!!

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$12.42!Per Megabyte

$0.60!Per Minute

$39!Per Month

Iridium Pilot!Rate Chart

!!Lastly, the Iridium Pilot is a broadband unit that is “always on” meaning there are no connection costs (because it is always connected). !This means that you can use XGate to check to see if you have email for less than a penny per check. Compared to a system with a minimum billing increment, you can save hundreds of dollars.

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Inmarsat FleetBroadband Rate Structure With Inmarsat FleetBroadband you pay a monthly fee for either access or for a bundle of data, with airtime being purchased separately on a per-minute basis. Monthly access starts at over $100 per month, and prices are generally higher than Iridium Pilot until you get to $1,060 per month. Above that, FleetBroadband is an attractive choice, particularly for commercial vessels requiring high speeds. In fact, data rates with the FleetBroadband can get as low as $0.30 a megabyte. For rock-bottom data pricing like that, however, be prepared to pay several thousand dollars per month with a post-paid contract. !For the average cruiser, hardware, access, and service pricing with the FleetBroadband will be prohibitive. Regardless, we have several yachting and commercial vessels who get tremendous value from FleetBroadband.

$108 - $4,000+!Per Month!Depending !On Plan

FleetBroadband!Rate Chart

$0.30 - $21.25 !Per Megabyte!

Depending !On Plan

$0.33 - $1.49!Per Minute Depending On Plan

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9555/9575 Rate Summary

!No monthly access fee!Voice rates of $1.44 per minute!Data rates of over $100 per MB (2.4 Kpbs, depends on connection)!Cards good for voice and data

Iridium Pilot Rate Summary !$39 monthly access fee!Prepaid voice rates of $0.60 per minute!Actual data rates of $12.42 per MB (32 Kbps) !Faster data available as an upgrade

FleetBroadband Rate Summary!

!$108+ monthly access fee!!Voice rates of $0.33 - $1.49 per minute!!Actual data rates of $21.25 per MB (150 Kpbs, minimum monthly plan)!!Higher monthly access fee significantly decreases rates!!

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Usage Examples !Because the airtime options can sometimes make even our heads spin, we’ve broken it down for you into some real-world examples. All cases assume use of an Optimizer to prevent unwanted data usage and XGate and XWeb for compression.

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!!!Casual Cruisers Joe and Betty have a 40 ft boat and are planning on sailing the Caribbean. Their primary mode of communication is email (about 15 a week), but they do around 250 minutes of voice a year, and would like to do web-browsing when necessary. For a handheld unit they would buy 1000 minutes per year, and spend 750 of those on data. !

1 Year with Handheld: $721 x 2 for 1000 minutes (2x 500 minute cards)

Total = $1442!

1 Year with Pilot: $468 Access (12 months at $39.00)

$162 Voice Usage (3 x 90 minute cards x $0.60 per minute, total 270 minutes)

$149 Data Usage (12 MB x $12.42/MB)Total = $779

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!Live Aboard/Work Aboard - The Satellite Office Marcus lives aboard and relies greatly on email for work purposes. He sends around 15 emails a day (about 12MB per year). He really needs access to the web but doesn’t want to pay for it and can’t wait for the slow download speeds. He does about 200 minutes of voice a month. For a handheld unit he would buy 3000 minutes per year for use with voice and data.  !1 Year with Handheld: $721 x 6 for 3000 minutes (6 x 500 minute cards)Total = $4,326!1 Year with Pilot: $468 Access$1440 Voice Usage (27 x 90 minute cards x $0.60/min, total 2,400 minutes)$149 Data Usage (12 MB x $12.42 per MB)Total = $2,057!He now can afford to use the web with the difference.!

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!Home Schooling Joan and Gerald homeschool their two kids. They need to be able to contact administrators through email, and have access to web-based materials. Because of their high web-usage they are willing to spend more for greater

bandwidth (which will decrease their per-megabyte data costs). They don’t use a lot of voice, but when they do they rely on

their Pilot because $0.60 per minute is much lower than most cell phone roaming rates in the Caribbean. Cell phone data roaming rates are no better. Data in Panama, for example, costs $25.00 per MB. 25MB-50MB is $229-$442 per month.!

1 Year with Handheld:Prohibitively expensive, slow, and impractical

1 Year with Pilot: $468 Access

$162 Voice Usage (3 x 90 minute cards x $0.60 per minute, total 270 minutes)$2,124 Data (Plan for 25 MB per month for $176.99 per month)

Total = $2,754 !

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Iridium Pilot Hardware !

Engineered and Built for the Toughest Conditions From blazing sun to arctic freezes to high winds, the Pilot functions perfectly en route to any destination. Which makes its pole-to-pole coverage useful for those cruisers going near or far.!5-year Warranty Iridium guarantees the Pilot for 5 years and has set up a network of over 200 authorized service dealers in 60 ports around the globe, offering shipboard service around the clock. !Convenient Features The system itself allows for internet browsing and data usage simultaneously with voice calling, and features multiple independent phone lines so crew or guests can avoid lining up to make their calls. It also has integrated wifi functionality so you can hook up your laptop, tablet, or phone, and use it while cruising.

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!Affordable Pricing The Iridium Pilot is currently listed with Global Marine Networks at a special price of $4,595 (while supplies last). This is all-inclusive and includes over a thousand dollars worth of free additional hardware, software, and airtime. !Although the Pilot is more expensive than handheld devices, you’ll find that with airtime savings, the long-term savings far exceed the additional upfront cost. And there are even more ways to save money through specialized compression and high-tech software solutions offered by Global Marine Networks.

Iridium Pilot Pros and Cons

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Advantages !

Data Speeds Iridium Pilot data speeds are approximately 12 times the data speeds of Iridium

handheld phones. Handheld phones data speeds are at 2.4 kbps (think: 25 times slower than dial-up). While basic Iridium Pilot data plans start at near-dial-

up speed, combining them with data compression services like XGate and XWeb can get you speeds closer to what we’re accustomed to on land. (And

you can always bump up into the higher bandwidth plans if the basic one isn’t fast enough).

!Voice Calling

With Iridium Pilot, you get up to three lines of active service. This lets you place 2 calls at the same time (great in an emergency). Voice quality is identical to handheld Iridium phones and you have the advantage of using the included

desktop phones. You can also make voice calls while you browse the internet (extremely helpful in situations like speaking to a technician with engineering

charts pulled up on your laptop, for example).   !

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!Voice Pricing

Voice with the Pilot is less than half the cost of voice with a handheld. Handheld airtime is $1.44 a minute (and don’t forget the connection costs). With an Iridium

Pilot post-paid plan with Global Marine Networks, you can get GoChat voice cards for $0.60 a minute.

!Data Pricing

Iridium Pilot airtime rates are 9-10 times less expensive than an Iridium

9555 or 9575 handset for data, and much, much faster. A

megabyte of data (like, say, the front page of cnn.com)

would take 68 minutes to load on a handheld phone

and cost over $100! That same webpage on the Pilot would take 4 minutes, and

cost $12.42. You can greatly reduce even that price with XWeb, which can get the price you pay per

megabyte down to below $4.

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Affordable PricingThe Iridium Pilot usually retails for over $5,000, but Global Marine Networks

currently has a special offer on an Iridium Pilot package for $4,595 (while supplies last). This all-inclusive package includes a free Optimizer ($150 value),

free 12-month subscription to XGate ($240 value), free 12-month subscription to XWeb ($96 value), and 1000 free voice minutes ($650 value). Think the Pilot is

right for you? You can check out the whole package here. !!!!!!

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Disadvantages !

Higher Upfront Hardware Costs vs. Iridium Handheld Iridium Pilot hardware costs roughly $1500-2000 more than a handheld phone with docking kit and antenna. We believe that the added convenience, ease of

installation, faster data speeds and lower airtime rates will quickly overcome the price differential for any customer using more than 500 minutes of airtime per

year (especially if you plan on surfing the web at all).!

Fixed Installation Generally, this is a major advantage as Iridium Pilot installation is easier than a handheld docking kit, and fixed is better than handheld with no dock. But the one valid concern we’ve heard is that Pilot cannot be taken into a ditch bag,

while a handheld phone can. While this is true, many customers simply keep a dedicated distress alerting device handy (such as an ePIRB or PLB, or DeLorme Inreach or SPOT Satellite Messenger) for these situations. Each of these has the

advantage over a satphone of immediately alerting a distress response center with your GPS location with a single button press. A satphone won’t do this.

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Additional Options

Vessel Tracking !Because the cost of small amounts of data is literally pennies with the Iridium Pilot, Vessel Tracking becomes an attractive option for cruisers. Vessel Tracking is a service available through Global Marine Networks that pings a vessel’s GPS location through an Optimizer (more info on the Optimizer below) at pre-designated intervals. With that information, cruisers can accurately map their exact location on a webpage set up exclusively for their use.!It allows you to easily track your location, course, and speed, and to share that information with others. This way your family and friends can check out the dedicated tracking webpage for your vessel and see where you travel on your journey. This service is not limited to individual cruisers - an entire fleet can easily be tracked.!Vessel Tracking is a simple subscription of $29 a month. The data that is transferred through the Optimizer is so small that the additional costs normally associated with operating the service are negligible. It’s a fantastic option for cruisers of all types and a very popular service with our customers.

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Data Optimization !XGate Satellite Email XGate lets you easily access your email over a satellite data service - accelerating data an average of 20x, and saving up to 90% on your airtime. High-tech batch processes, exclusive shore-side servers and custom encoding make this email service the fastest, most money-saving option for satellite users anywhere.

XGate service includes: Accelerated Email

Virus ScanningWeather Data (via GRIB file email service)

Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn posting ability!XWeb Web Browsing and Acceleration Service XWeb compresses web pages an average of 3x to 5x smaller than normal. Translated into data charges, this is a true money saver, even if you’re only checking on dock charges or checking a favorite webpage. A megabyte of data

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over the Iridium Pilot costs $12.42. With XWeb, the price to access it would drop down to less than $4.

!RedPort Optimizer by Global Marine Network. Optimizer is a satellite firewall and Wi-Fi hotspot.!Optimizer: Why Firewall? Broadband systems generally offer an ethernet port and an open pipe to the

Internet. This is great for accessibility, except that today’s computers and devices are all very internet-chatty. Every

time a little bubble appears asking if you want to update Adobe, iTunes, Skype, etc, your computer is interfacing with the internet (and, yes, racking up data charges without you knowing). !Suddenly the open pipe to the internet can get

dangerous for your airtime bill, especially when your computer performs an automatic Windows update and

downloads 130 MB at $12.42 per MB.  !

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To prevent runaway airtime bills you will want a satellite firewall that blocks all traffic except for compressed email, web and weather. This can save you from the “bill shock” of thousands of dollars in unwanted data transfers.!Optimizer: Wi-Fi Hotspot Optimizer’s Wi-Fi hotspot lets you use your Wi-Fi-enabled devices like smartphones and tablets - either iOS (iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch) or Android (Google Nexus, Samsung Galaxy and many more).!Optimizer also makes connecting your computer simple. Without Wi-Fi, you enter the vortex of computer support - drivers, updates, modems. With Wi-Fi, accessing satellite data is as easy as logging in at Starbucks.

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Sample Setup Think you’ll need a satcom system, but still unsure if a handheld or broadband unit is right for you? Check out our whitepaper on Blue Water Cruising Communications. !The typical requirements for a broadband setup are below. You can also check out our Iridium Pilot Savings Bundle to get a full setup at a fantastic price. !Required for Broadband: • Satellite broadband terminal (such as Iridium Pilot)  • Data-enabled airtime SIM card• Airtime plan• Computer or Tablet (e.g. iPad; Tablets require Wi-Fi Hotspot)!Optional (but highly recommended): • Optimizer Satellite Firewall (also a Wi-Fi Hotspot)• XGate Satellite Phone Email Service with compression• XWeb Internet Web Browsing Service with compression

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Further Information Blue Water Communication is now easier and more affordable than ever. Consider consulting with an experienced satellite communications specialist to

help you select the equipment and services that match your cruising requirements.

!Global Marine Networks is run by

experienced specialists with extensive live aboard experience. With a long history of developing leading edge marine communication products, we are a value-added certified developer or reseller for all major satellite carriers.!

Fill out this short form to request a consultation for a custom solution for

your exact situation.  

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About Global Marine Networks !Global Marine Networks (GMN), the leader in advancing satellite data speeds and services, helps Fixed and Mobile Satellite Services providers and their customers by offering the industry’s fastest, most reliable and easy-to-use Email, web, and other hardware and software services to maritime, oil and gas, first responder and business continuity users. The company’s products include XGate high-speed satellite email, WeatherNet weather and oceanographic data software, and vessel tracking systems. Ship to shore network management solutions are sold by GMN under the RedPort Global brand name at http://www.redportglobal.com and as white-label solutions for the world’s premier satellite data service providers.!GMN has numerous awards and certifications for technical innovation and holds pending patents on its products. For more information on how GMN is Making Airtime Count™ - whether ship to shore, or in remote or emergency communications environments, visit www.globalmarinenet.com.

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