Spain - British Expat Forum

Can you tell me what it typically costs for a satellite phone and internet access with one of these?

Hi

Around the 3000 euros to set up and from 110 euros per month for unlimited but bandwidth restricted air time.

Don't let ANYBODY kid you otherwise about the following. This information is directly from HUGHES, the satellite providers... the absolute maximum download speed is 70kbits / sec and the absolute maximum upload speed 40 kbits / sec. It can, and does gets as low as 7-8 for upload and 156 for download during peak times.

The suppliers out here are offering up to 1024kbits down and 128kbits up.....it is impossible at the moment from satellites W1 and AB1.

There is a new VOIP phone which costs about 500 euros on top of the satellite system and costs about 4 cents per minute to the UK. It works, I have tried it while I was in England a few weeks ago but I am not sure if it has been released to the suppliers out here yet.

As you might have gathered this is my 'game' and I am somewhat annoyed with the suppliers. In fact an article is being prepared for the Costa Blanca News on the subject and the matter is being taken up with the main trade supplier in the UK by my Company.

Unless you use the internet professionally (website design etc) I suggest for normal downloading and email you consider the GPRS option for about 400 euros and a fixed amount per month based on your traffic.

Very expensive for what you get them. I have a T-DSL (DLS over ISDN which according to BT is impossible but dont tell the German DT that!). I have a 2mbs downlink and 256Kb uplink with 5Gb/ month for EUR 50.00 which is ok and nice and fast. I normally get at least 50% - 75% of that bandwidth to so Im a happy bunny.

This "its impossible" is the real problem. The satellite link can in theory handle 1024 down and 128 up but the number of ports available can't. The truth is that the contention ratios which should be at about a maximum of 20 to 1 are in fact at about 80 to 1 on the standard packages and I suspect more than that.
The catch is that, if you can't get access to a landline, your choice is limited to this or a GPRS solution and if you move large quantities of data a GPRS solution can be very expensive on a monthly basis. Rock and a hard place sums it up.

Happyexpat, do you info sources extend to what is currently available in France, and the associated tariffs? I haven't been back for a while, and evne then I had trouble deducing what was actually on offer under brand names like Numeris.

I'd heard fairly negative comments on satellite data services on US sites like CNET. The big catch seems to be that you may get good access and reasonable bandwith in the early days of a particular service, but that once it matures, the network will be overloaded and they won't add new capacity - like the early days of cellphones. I guess contention systems are only really good for people who use them when everyone else is asleep....

Fraid not on terrestial systems, the satellite systems are as usual controlled by the USA, in particular Hughes.

The contention ratios are exactly as you described, great at the start and gradually getting worse and worse. Sorry I can't be more help.