Isatphone Prepaid – where’s the cheapest?

Thanks Kevin - I will be in touch

Thanks for this info. You are cheaper than my provider. However, I suppose I need to use up my current credit before changing to you, as I guess I cant carry my balance forward.

You can buy a 100 unit, 180 day credit for $95 (US) which is around $116.

www.satcomglobal.net

They have an Australian agent in Qld who can be contacted if you run into any issues with the recharge.

Tom

Hi Zebra, yes - you would need to use up your existing credit. But remember the vouchers have a shelf life of one year, so you can purchase in advance of any price hikes (dropping Ozzie $ ?)

Depending on who you got your SIM card from, you may also need another SIM card. We ask $1 for a SIM card, and $9 for express postage. Happy to send ordinary mail at no charge.

The $95 voucher is quite a good deal, but be careful as you may find your dialing plans are US like and 000 may not work.

It is actually illegal to now sell a service that doesn't contact 000. Obviously SIM cards sourced from overseas do not have to comply and possibly won't.

My sim was purchased in Australia ad does work for 000.
My credits are carried forward to my next expiry date if I recharge before the current expiry date. I have done this twice, for 180 days each time. When you first purchase a credit you get a logon and password and recharging next time is even easier.

Tom

That's good that the 000 routing works.

I encourage eveyone to make a test call to 000 BEFORE heading off.

With most providers as long as you recharge before your voucher expires the remaining credit will roll over in to the next period.

Can you tell us where to purchase a SIM card for satcomglobal top ups?

I purchased the phone with SIM from Watts Communications in Fyshwick ACT. When I was approaching the end of my initial 2 year credit they gave me the details for satcomglobal.

Contact details for the Australian Representative Office

Satcom Global Ltd
3/249 Montague Road,
West End, Queensland,
Australia,
4101
T +61 (0)7 3257 7309
E oceania@satcomglobal.com

Thanks to all for your information, it’s been much appreciated.

Hi Sat Phone Sales,

How does one do a 000 test call?

Simply dial 000 and when asked for the service you require let them know it is a test of communication equipment over satellite for proof of function.

I have found that the operators are completely agreeable to this. I'd strongly advise not to do this when there is liable to be a heavy load on 000 - disasters, weekend eveneings etc.

Sat phone sales,

You said, I encourage eveyone to make a test call to 000 BEFORE heading off.
It is illegal to ring 000 without an emergency. So I would not encourage anyone to ring 000 just to check if it works.

As you are in the communication business you should know better.
Cheers Andy

Guilty as charged.

Sometimes there is a big difference between the law, and the intent of the law.

There is also often a big difference between what is practical, sensible and illegal.

If your communications equipment for critical emergencies is found to be "out of order" at the time of a life threatening situation I wouldn't like to be the one explaining to the coroner why it wasn't checked.

My apologies if I didn't make it clear that my recommendation is for checking the ability of a carrier to connect to 000. For general function tests naturally use a regular number. I guess that's clear now.

I'm sure you'll still point out such a test is still illegal, however many people will run the legal gauntlet to be sure they do have access to the one number you should dial in dire straits.

On another practical note; you can be sure any SIM that we provide WILL connect to 000, regardless of the standing of your account so no test needed. With SIMS purchased overseas etc. you don't have that clarity. It's then up to the individual to test, or not to test.

I totally agree with Kevin or Sat Phone Sales.
It may be illegal but it would be irresponsible not to test the 000 service.
I certainly will when I get my new SIM - my old one wouldn’t ring 000 (I tested it)
When I first got my Isatphone I rang each listed Police Headquarters plus each Royal Flying Doctor Service in each state – all responded positively except the Victorian Police who asked me not to ring them for rescue type problems.

Dennis, the whole legal / not legal thing is debatable and certainly confusing.

The Attorney Generals' Office says NOT to test from a Sat Phone, however the people who run the 000 number service are happy to respond to 000 test calls, even from satellite phones. It is commonly done industry wide.

A couple of important things..

Do not ring and hang up (this can cause the Police to be sent out to investigate the reason for the hang up - eg... duress/distress)

Inform the operator that you are making a call to test the functionality of a communications system.

Ask them if the number they see is the number you know you are calling from (they can only answer "yes" or "no", they cannot read to you the number they are seeing)

Do not ask further questions, regardless of what the operator informs you, and keep the call as brief as possible, but making sure they know it is a test call.

If making more than 50 test calls in a 24 hour period there is a different protocol to follow.

I hope that helps clear things. It "may" be illegal, yet there is a commonly accepted industry standard to test 000 functionality!

Again my apologies if people thought I was recommending regular ad hoc calls to 000. Please don't do that, but DO check that your provider lets you reach 000 (if they don't know, the test call is the answer)

I test every bit of safety equipment before needing to use it in an emergency - 000 is no different.
I can’t understand why anyone wouldn't.
Imagine ringing 000, as you are dying of thirst, and you receive “This number is unavailable – contact your service provider”

000 calls are for people to get in contact with emergency people quickly(police, fire and ambo's because they don't know the number of the local office. If you are planning a trip I hope you have all the numbers required for emergency situations, eg: local police, fire and RFDS and not need 000.
So if the Attorney Generals' Office says NOT to test from a Sat Phone that would be a clear directive. Wonder what the Attorney General would say about your post.

More or less I don't like that law so stuff them. If everyone had that attitude you would have a law less society. The law is the law and no one is above the law.
This law is in place for a very good reason. And you say, I'd strongly advise not to do this when there is liable to be a heavy load on 000 - disasters, weekend eveneings etc. Given 000 operators are all over the country and you do not know where your call will end up, how am I going to know of a disaster in another state and if they are busy or not, You Don't.
Leave 000 for ONLY emergency calls.


I too have a sat phone and when first purchased it could not ring 000, but since then I have been informed by my supplier that the 000 number can now be used. I will take their word that it works. But 000 would be the last number I would call, as I would have all the numbers required in the local area and talk to someone with local knowledge, not someone half way around the country and not even know where Mantapayika is, or what state its in.

I would hate to think I would be kept waiting 3 or 4 minuets for an answer from 000 because someone is doing a test call.

As an old bloke, I couldn’t count the times in my life some has stated erroneously “trust me it works”
Or the times I’ve purchased equipment that didn’t functioned as specified.
Shortly, as soon as I get my new SIM card, one of the first numbers I will call is 000 – it’s not a hanging offence.
You take the risk if you want Andy - but that’s not my style.

Andy, there are only two 000 centres in Australia - one in Vic and one in NSW. It has been that way for over 15 years. Telstra/Sensis have the contract to host these services. Although Telstra have similar operator centres elsewhere which are equipped to handle these calls, that ONLY happens when the two primaries are severely overloaded and a decision taken to activate (aka populate/staff) those 000 positions elsewhere.

So what your saying Dennis is that you also rang 000 from your home land line as well, as the only way you will know if it works is to ring, or do you trust your service provider. If the service provider said it works, well it works no need to check. Service providers do not say "trust me" they say it works or it doesn't. Big difference between the two. What you are going to do is criminal.

I'm sure the Communication investigating team will be interested in this post.

No not a hanging offence but let me know the fine /goal time you get.
It's in the same category as stealing a fire extinguisher from your truck while out in the tumble weed. (put lives at risk for your gain)

Can't believe that people say that they break the law on a public web site. Thank god you are only a small minority of the population.

PS: Just a heads up to everyone who thinks this is OK. I will be notifying the proper authority's of this and hope they throw the book at you.

I also think that this post should be removed as it is encouraging people to break the law and I'm sure Explore OZ would not approve of this.

Hi Andy, I hope I can help a little here.

It's unpleasant for everyone when Forums get heated like this.

I appreciate your motives are sound, nobody wants to see the 000 service compromised. You are quite right to speak up if you become aware of the service being compromised.

There are established protocols for 000 functionality testing.

In the telecommunication industry it is common, accepted and expected practice to make calls to 000 to test function. Please see this link...

Comms Alliance Procedure for making test calls to Emergency Codes 000/112

Indeed when installing a PABX or VOIP system it is expected that 000 functionality is tested prior to hand over. This is to make sure that anybody picking up on an extension doesn't have to think before dialling the emergency number.

Now the Comms Alliance specifically mentions "Technical staff of a Carrier / Service Provider" in the document. However, as mentioned, PABX installers (not carriers or service providers) need to check 000 functionality prior to hand over, and do so on a daily basis. Imagine a building burning down because 000 didn't work in the dial plan and the visitor couldn't figure how to get an outside line that supported 000 ! Think of a satellite phone as a 1 extension PABX in this context.

Since the supporting document is grey in the matter of who may make a test call I have spoken with the people that actually run the 000 number service (It's Telstra BTW). I asked them if it was acceptable practice to check the 000 connectivity of an unknown SIM (overseas purchase etc.) in a satellite phone. The answer, from the people running the service was, "Yes".

We will continue to advise our customers that if they are unsure of their SIM card's 000 capability, and can't get an answer from their provider, to test it, using the protocol I posted previously.

I can assure our customers that any SIM card we supply WILL have 000 functionality, so no test needed. We have the 100% guarantee of the carriers we use that this functionality is built in. They are big players in the field of communications.

We encourage customers to NOT set off on a trip with a card that doesn't support 000 dialling. Somebody else may be calling with their unit for help to save their life and not understand that 000 is not available.

I have apologised for making the statement, "I encourage everyone to make a test call to 000 BEFORE heading off" without making the context clearer. Hopefully this clears things further and you find it, in context, more acceptable.

To defuse the heated debate here, and take it somewhere more appropriate, I am more than happy to discuss this with the "authorities?", yourself, and customers by telephone. We're always happy to provide details of test calls made to those with a proper legal reason to know.

Our contact number is 1300 13 54 57. Please ask to speak with me.

Regards, Kevin.

Hi Andy - How old are you?
You come across as being pretty naïve
Anyway you have taken this subject right off thread, and I sure most people have lost interest in it.
Merry Xmas

Hi Dennis,
Wishing you and your family a Merry Xmas and safe travels throughout the new year.
Maybe after reading this you might understand the reason for my comments.


Some years ago I was burnt in a petrol fire to 20% of my body with 2nd and 3rd degree burns.
Rang 000 5 times for a ambo within a 2 hour period, for it not to arrive. It took a phone call to the hospital for them to dispatch the ambulance. (I lived 5 minutes away from the hospital).
After doing some complaining about the time it took to get to me, I was told that the operator was inundated with bogus calls and took all calls that day as bogus, hence no ambulance. (she was removed from her job)
After suffering in extreme pain for over 2 hours because of people ringing 000 when it was not an emergency, I think I have a right to express my concerns about the Illegal use of that number(000).


PS sorry if you think that the thread was hijacked, but I think it is important that if bad information is given you should correct it, as Kevin has done after realising his mistake, and I thank him for correcting it.
I would read the link Kevin put up before ringing 000. http://www.comlaw.gov.au/Details/F2014C01064/4deb6e11-98b2-448f-83a7-44ea13bd911c
This like here might explain a lot
Cheers Andy

I think this whole issue came about because prior to July 2013, it was not possible to phone 000 from the Isatphone. To contact 000 Emergency Services, you needed to dial +61290020900.

In March this year I needed to dial 000 from a gorge in the Flinders Ranges when a walker severely broke an ankle. I still had the +61290020900 number programmed in the contacts as 000 Emergency and used that. Worked fine.

I personally would still use that programmed contact number. Certainly worth keeping it in your contacts in case you had any problem dialling 000.

With the supplier I listed above you can purchase either credit which gets added to your phone immediately with the expiry period also starting that same day, or a voucher where the credit gets added to the phone and the expiry period starts only when the voucher is activated.

This is useful when going on a trip....

I think my knowledge on this subject is now exhausted.....

Tom

Thanks to all for your information, it’s been much appreciated.

Yes, the "countdown" starts from the moment of activation - ie. crediting to the account.

If you want the full time extension wait until the day before expiry to activate.

We offer to do this for our customers if they are out and about - just SMS us and we'll do the online activation for you.

My phone is also with satcom global.
Will my phone (with the latest upgrade) have 000 capability?

Laurie