Is BGAN the cheapest for Sat Internet?

[LuvSun]

Just wanting to make sure Im not paying more than I need to. :-)

Am considering Iridium.

[svmobert]

Originally Posted by LuvSun

Just wanting to make sure Im not paying more than I need to. :-)

What type of Internet do you need?

[svmobert]

And what do you currently have?

[LuvSun]

I usually buy the 3 month BGAN package, I will be prepared to upgrade my hardware in the future. I think its an Explorer 510, it was on the boat when I purchased it.

What do these youtubers use for uloading large video files?

[Shrew]

Originally Posted by LuvSun

I usually buy the 3 month BGAN package, I will be prepared to upgrade my hardware in the future.

What do these youtubers use for uloading large video files?

They find places to upload content. They make friends of locals. They pay a local businesses a few bucks, or hang out where there's free wifi for 6+ hours.

[LuvSun]

oH I thought they must upload some at sea.

Hey would this product work at sea? The unlimited package.

https://www.bluecosmo.com/iridium-go-monthly-service-plans.html


Im thinking this must be a local service, although it says use anywhere in the world. $150 unlimited seems way to cheap for sat net.

[svmobert]

Most of the YouTubers use wifi and cellular; ie, they wait until they have land-based internet to upload large videos. That said, you can upload large files over satellite, and you just have to have the bandwidth (and the budget) to do it.

Assuming you're on a moving vessel, and not looking at the stationary devices:

On a per megabyte basis, KVH has the cheapest data (but the more expensive hardware). It's also the fastest data. But, the KVH network has gaps, so be sure to check the coverage map. (See the coverage map tab here: https://www.sea-tech.com/product/kvh-tracphone-v3hts/)

Iridium Certus is 100% global at about 1/4 of the speed of KVH. The hardware cost is about half, but the data usage is more expensive.

Next is Inmarsat, the Fleet products. They are slower than Iridium, and not 100% global, but also about half as expensive as Iridium on a per-MB basis.

When you say "cheapest," there are three factors: (1) the cost of hardware; (2) the cost of data; and (3) the minimum monthly commitment. The more data you purchase per month, the lower your per-MB cost (but the more expensive your total monthly outlay). So to figure out what's going to be "cheapest" for you, you have to have an idea of how fast you need your data; how much data (in terms of MB or GB) you need; where in the world you'll be using your data; and how many months or years you'll be using it (to amortize out the hardware costs over all those months).

If you'd like personalized help, feel free to give me a call or shoot me an email. There are a lot of variables, but also a lot of really interesting solutions out there, including bandwidth-saving tools and tricks.

[svmobert]

(And I should add - I'm SV Mobert, I'm just logged into my personal account on one device and my business one on the other, so responding from both.)

[LuvSun]

Originally Posted by Sea-TechSystems

Most of the Y

Thank you so much for the info.


What about this Iridium system, it says anywhere global but surely this is too cheap to be used on the go?

https://www.bluecosmo.com/iridium-go...ice-plans.html

I know I sound a bit dumb haha, you wouldnt believe I was an Engineer in IP with large Telcos with CCIE certification.

I have a good wifi system for when Im a mile or so within a shop or similar that has a wifi password.

[svmobert]

The Iridium GO! is for satellite-optimized email and weather only; it's not fast enough to upload videos or do web surfing. That said, if you are interested in the GO!, I'm happy to help, and if you find my advice helpful I'd very much appreciate you purchasing from me: https://www.sea-tech.com/product/iri...-wifi-hotspot/ But like I said, if you want to talk through your requirements and see what's going to be the best fit, I'm happy to chat.

Congrats on the CCIE! I had a CCNP almost 2 decades ago...

Where are you located?

[LuvSun]

Yeah I see the different costs per hardware vs capabilities. I will have to think this through very carefully and or if I need anything more than just being able to send an email once a day.

[svmobert]

If you do decide that all you need is email and weather, then be sure to consider the Glow: https://www.sea-tech.com/product/red...wifi-terminal/ It's basically an Iridium GO! inside, so it uses the Iridium network and it has the same coverage and data speeds at the GO!, but it can connect to your on-board wifi router so you don't have to have two wifi networks on board, and the airtime plans are great - you can get a bunch of features that you'll have to pay more for with the Iridium GO!, such as an included +1 phone number (so people calling you can dial a +1 domestic number, instead of paying, say, $19/minute for an international call), and you can suspend your service for months you're not using it, and some other perks.

[Tetepare]

Originally Posted by Shrew

They find places to upload content. They make friends of locals. They pay a local businesses a few bucks, or hang out where there's free wifi for 6+ hours.

The best friends you can make are the tech crew for the ICT/ telecom company. All the free bandwidth one could want.

[LuvSun]

Originally Posted by Sea-TechSystems

If you do decide that all you need is email and weather, then be sure to consider the Glow: https://www.sea-tech.com/product/red...wifi-terminal/ .

Thats really cool. One of the features of why I email is to let friends know where I am, but they can track me for free like a cell phone?

It says social media updates etc, thats got to take up a lot of MB's and be costly?

I saw the plans and they talk about Data mins etc. It doesnt appear you get much data for your money, but maybe I read it incorrectly.

I dont use social media much but probably do more so on non coastal sailing, like I want to do NZ to fiji, to Hawaii to LA or San Fran.

Currently my Facebook is turned off, but Ive got the messenger app on my phone, so I can still message friends without living on the internet.

I think what I would find more internet useful for is finding more information on the fly about certain locations, which can be rather important ie reefs, harbour bars, that kind of thing. But I imagine using a web browser would use a lot of net. Of course id have all the niceties turned off on my browser so images etc dont pop up (unless I want them to).

[css145hs]

LuvSun, I think someone needs to give you a super clear response. The Iridium Go has internet speeds from 1993 or so, it cannot be used to browse the web or do anything except a few specialized functions. You can send an email or two, text only, via specialized software. You can download GRIB weather updates. Doing either takes several minutes of airtime, weather downloads may even take 10-20 minutes. This is great, to be able to do it in the middle of the ocean, but you have to have reasonable expectations. It is not the "internet" you know.

As for BGAN, the Explorer 510 is supposed to be fairly useable from a boat (at least according to groundcontrol.com), however I would like someone's first hand report. I've used the Go and an IsatPhone2 in the past, but am considering the Explorer 510 for a better experience. I need at most 100KB to do daily weather and email, so 10-50MB monthly plans will go a long way.... IF they work. I'll be on a 50' catamaran, so fairly stable as far as things go, but has anyone tried the Explorer 510 or similar while on the ocean and sailing? I'd literally only need it to work for like 30 seconds, since its so fast (like 200x faster than the above options), I just don't want to have unrealistic expectations on its field of view requirements. I can't seem to find them anywhere, how "wide" is the signal lock.

There are a few vague reports I came across, so I'm inclined to think it works.