Iridium 9500 Satellite Phone Rental

The Iridium Satellite Phone Rental Kits Include:

• Free Activation
• No Roaming or Long Distance charges
• Free Inbound Text Messaging (9500 Model can’t send Text msgs)
• Free Inbound Calls (caller pays for these)
• Free Technical Support
• Coverage for the Entire Planet
• Iridium Satellite Phone
• 2 Batteries
• AC Charger
• User’s Manual
• Carrying Case

How does the rental process work?

1. Choose your rental duration (in week + extra days). Your rental starts on the day the phone is received, and ends when you give it back to FEDEX.
2. Choose your airtime package. If you use more than you prepaid, don’t worry, the phone will keep working. We will bill you for what you use over your prepaid airtime at $1.75/minute.
3. Choose any optional accessories. The one time price shown is for the entire rental period.
4. If you want damage insurance, check the box. Loss, theft or confiscation is not coverd.
5. Choose your shipping method. Fedex 2nd day is our standard shipping method.
6. Choose the Return Shipping Label. This is a required item. Phones can only be shipped from a USA location. Using the supplied return label outside of the USA will result in a lost phone and the customer will be responsible for buying Globalcom  a replacement.
7. Select the date you wish to receive the phone, at least one day prior to your departure date.
8. Let us know if you have any special requirements for your satellite phone rental.
9. Add your order to the Cart to see your total, and Check out normally.
10. We will Fedex the phone to arrive at the delivery address on the date specified.
11. When you finish with the phone, put it back in the box it came in, and stick on the return label. Give the box to FEDEX or drop it in a drop box.
12. We will bill you for the airtime you use (in excess of what was purchased), and any extra days.
13. That’s all there is to it!

Frequently Asked Questions (Satellite Phone Rental FAQ)

Question: Will this phone work where I’m going?
Answer: Iridium satellite phones work anywhere in the world, as long as you have an open clear view of the sky. Note: You can not take this phone to Cuba, North Korea or India without government permission.

Question: Will this phone work inside a boat/car/airplane/house?
Answer: No. The satellite phone antenna must have a direct line of sight to the satellite. You can connect an external antenna if needed.

Question: When does the rental period start and end?
Answer: The rental starts on the day you receive the phone, and ends on the day you give it back to FEDEX for return shipment.

Question: How long will the battery last?
Answer: It will last about 30 hours in standby mode (on but not talking on it). It will last for about 2 hours of talk time.

Question: Are incoming calls free?
Answer: Yes, they are free to the sat phone, but the caller will be charged by their local phone company for an international call. A caller can first dial Iridium’s Arizona number and end enter the sat phone number to avoid the international call. This is known as 2-stage dialing, and the charges are then billed to the satellite phone at $1.99/min. We recommend have your callers send a free text message to the sat phone instead.

Question: Can I send and receive text messages with a satellite phone?
Answer: Yes. Incoming text messages from the Iridium.com website are free. Outbound text messages are billed to the satellite phone at .75/each.

Question: Can I connect to the internet with a satellite phone.
Answer: Yes, but is so slow, about 1/20th of dial-up speed, that it is mostly useless. You need a data kit to do this.

Question: Can I call other satellite phone carriers like Inmarsat, Thuraya and Globalstar?
Answer: Calls from an Iridium rental phone to other satellite carriers like Inmarsat, Thuraya and Globalstar are very expensive. These guys do not play together nicely. Your cost will be $9 per minute for this type of call. Just don’t do it! This service is best used to call cell phones, landlines, or other Iridium phones.

Technical Specifications for Iridium Phones:

•     Dimensions: 7.6L x 2.44W x 2.66D inches
•     Phone Weight: 454g (16 oz)
•     Complete Kit Weight 907g (2 lbs) (phone, 2 batteries, wall charger, international adapters, canvas bag)
•     Standby time: Up to 30 hours
•     Talk time: Up to 2 hours
•     Two-way SMS and short email capability

Iridium 9500 Satellite Phone Support Documentation

Iridium 9500 User Guide
Iridium Quick Start Guide
Iridium Satellite Phone Coverage Map

Check out the other Iridium phone rental models:

Iridium Sat Phone Rentals