Outfitter Satellite rents and sells state-of-the-art satellite phones that operate on four major satellite networks, covering various regions of the globe. All our rental equipment is tested by a qualified technician before it is sent to you. Our sales and technical support staff can help you select the best phone for your application. After that, it is up to you to:
1. Understand the real capabilities of your equipment.
2. Follow the operating instructions.
3. Make your first call using the satellite phone before travelling to any remote location. Contact us immediately for technical support if you have trouble.

Thuraya: What should you expect?

UNDERSTANDING Thuraya: Thuraya is a regional satellite network that uses a geosynchronous satellite which is a much higher orbit (about 22,000 miles) than the LEO satellites used by Iridium or Globalstar. One result of this is that Thuraya voice communications have a noticeable time delay. Thuraya coverage is available in Europe, the Mediterranean, much of Africa, the Middle East, and parts of the Indian subcontinent (see coverage map). Thuraya offers voice, 9600 bps data, and SMS. Thuraya phones are considerably smaller than the Iridium 9505A and certain models incorporate GSM cellular capability. Thuraya is geosynchronous satellite (ie the satellite is in a stationary position in the sky above you) so if you do not move around, you should be able to maintain the same line of sight to the satellite from beginning to end of a call. Unexpected call drops still can occur. If you have problems, try to avoid electromagnetic interference from other powerful radio antennas in the vicinity. The customer must also take care to make sure that he or she understands whether the phone is operating in Thuraya-mode or GSM-mode, as indicated on the LCD screen. The customer is warned that GSM cellular mode in certain third world countries is often more expensive that Thuraya "satellite" mode.

THURAYA DATA SERVICES: Thuraya offers a 9600 bps data rate, which corresponds to about 4 MegaBytes (MB) an hour. This means Thuraya is very suitable for light to moderate data applications such as email or web browsing. Outfitter Satellite offers SkyFile email and fax software for use with Thuraya. If your application is extremely data intensive, e.g. transmitting large files such as video clips, an Inmarsat terminal, may be a better choice than a handheld Thuraya phone.

BASIC TROUBLESHOOTING: If there are no tall obstructions blocking more than 15 degrees of elevation above the horizon, you should have very few periods without service and those periods will tend to be very brief (ie minutes). Even under these conditions, unexpected call drops will occur, and the user agrees to understand this when he or she chooses to use Thuraya service. Here are some common user errors and what you can do about them:

1. Many customer support calls turn out to be due to wrong dialing sequences. Please re-read the helpsheet instructions to make sure that you are dialing correctly.
2. Thuraya phones require that you have a GPS position fix before making calls. After you have moved large distances, for example after flying to a new location, you will need to reaquire a GPS fix before making further calls. The position information is used in the billing process by Thuraya.
3. Always verify that the Thuraya phone has actually registered on the network before attempting to make calls. Since some Thuraya phones have GSM cellular modes in addition to the Thuraya satellite mode, make sure that you are in the correct mode. Be advised that regional GSM cellular services in third world countries can be much more expensive that satellite calls in Thuraya mode. It is the customer's responsibility to be aware of whether his or her phone is in cellular or satellite mode, before making calls.
4. If you are experiencing a lot of call drops or poor sound quality while in Thuraya satellite mode, you probably have inadequate signal strength. If you are around mountains, trees, or other tall obstructions you may experience an increase in the duration and frequency of signal loss. Obstructions tend to block direct line-of-sight from the satellites to your position. If it is convenient, you can move to a nearby area with less tall obstructions. Making sure you have a good position without obstructions will help reduce dropped calls and improve sound quality.
5. If you are in extremely mountainous areas towards the periphery of Thuraya coverage, such as the Himalayayas in Nepal, the Thuraya satellite becomes low on the horizon. Mountains can block the line-of-sight between you and the satellite which will prevent you from making calls. When travelling in mountainous terrain, it is important to understand where the Thuraya satellite is relative to the mountains.
6. Electromagnetic interference, such as from nearby radio transmitters, can cause problems. Move a larger distance away from the transmitter and try again.
7. Low battery level can cause the phone to operate poorly. Keep your batteries charged.
8. If you are having trouble with data calls or internet access, call our technical support staff using the phone number indicated on your paperwork. Since computer support calls can take a moderate amount of time, we strongly recommend that you resolve computer setup issues before leaving for a remote location. Although you must take ultimate responsibility for understanding your own computer equipment, we have excellent staff that can support most Windows and Macintosh operating systems and normally can get you underway as long as you have all the necessary physical hardware and software. Technical support of this type is free to our customers: you only pay for the satellite airtime while you are getting the support. This is another good reason to seek our technical support before you go to a remote location and must use the satellite phone to contact us!
9. If you have a prepaid Thuraya SIM card, you should avoid letting your account balance go to zero. Outfitter Satellite will email you (using the email address that you provided us) when your prepaid SIM validity is coming to an end or your account balance is getting low. It is a good idea to check your own account balance by using short code 151. Getting Scratch Card reload codes: Outfitter Satellite sells Scratch Card codes in 39 unit, 80 unit or 160 unit denominations. To purchase Scratch Card codes, call us or send an email to Recharge@OutfitterSatellite.com. You can also go to www.OutfitterSatellite.com/form.htm and select the link "Recharge Prepaid Account: Thuraya". Once you have a Scratch Card code, you can recharge your prepaid Thuraya account by dialing short code 150 from your Thuraya phone. You will be asked to enter the Scratch Card code and will receive a recharge confirmation, followed by your credit status. There is no charge for the short code 150 call.

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