Using a Telstra Sim in an Iridium phone. - WARNING

Submitted: Sunday, May 07, 2017 at 06:39

ThreadID: 134806 Views:5868 Replies:4 FollowUps:6

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Member - Boobook

I thought I would pass on a recent experience with my Telstra $10 per month SIM in the sat phone. I have been using it for many years without issue and just pay the $10 per month when I'm not using it.

As many users of this will know, most Telstra staff are not aware of how it works at all. Explaining it to them is like hitting your head on a brick wall.

I just got a bill from Telstra for $130 for the Sat phone number this month. The phone hasn't been on. It turns out that for some reason Telstra turned the default divert to message bank mode back on without me knowing, and someone who has the wrong number has been calling my sat phone.

I gave up trying to explain it to Telstra on the phone.

The solution is to ALWAYS put the sim back in a normal mobile phone and turn it on when you return from a trip. It will then stop charging at the sat phone rate.

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Reply By: Member - Stephen L (Clare SA) - Sunday, May 07, 2017 at 07:14

Sunday, May 07, 2017 at 07:14

Hi Boobook

That would be the last thing you would expect, and a dear unexpected bill to receive.

Cheers

Stephen

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AnswerID: 610869

Reply By: ian.g - Sunday, May 07, 2017 at 11:24

Sunday, May 07, 2017 at 11:24

That is exactly the way I thought it worked, if you turn it off it will divert to message bank, same as a standard mobile phone.

AnswerID: 610874

Follow Up By: Member - Boobook - Sunday, May 07, 2017 at 11:43

Sunday, May 07, 2017 at 11:43

Just like a normal mobile, you can set it to message bank, 101 or no divert. I always turn it to no divert for this reason when I get a SIM card for the sat phone.

Telstra for some reason turned it back to message bank last month.

FollowupID: 880864

Follow Up By: Michael H9 - Sunday, May 07, 2017 at 13:13

Sunday, May 07, 2017 at 13:13

That would irritate me. I always get rid of message bank. I wouldn't pay that bill because there would be no bill if they didn't turn it on again.

FollowupID: 880870

Reply By: Dean K3 - Monday, May 08, 2017 at 18:11

Monday, May 08, 2017 at 18:11

But if you have a pre-paid card and i presume this is case if you don't pay the monthly amount number becomes inactive and as such calls can't be made or received. I had similar issue with a 4G usb dongle didn't recharge after awhile so had to get new sim card and re-activate it.

If you only gave the number to a few specific people and they aware your home then why keep ringing the sat phone number ?

AnswerID: 610929

Follow Up By: Member - Boobook - Tuesday, May 09, 2017 at 06:25

Tuesday, May 09, 2017 at 06:25

Dean a prepaid card wont work with Iridium.

The person calling was't known to me. It was simply a wrong number.

FollowupID: 880924

Reply By: Member - daz b - Tuesday, May 09, 2017 at 21:47

Tuesday, May 09, 2017 at 21:47

G'day tony I've got a iridium sat phone for a few years now on a $35 a month plan l have asked Telstra about a different plan and have been told that's the only thing they have who did you speak to about the $10 sim every time I call all I get is some goose saying that's the only thing they have cheers Darren

AnswerID: 610981