Be Smart

With ever-increasing cellphone coverage, most people are busy complaining about having slow 3G access never-mind no ability to make voice calls; Ben Wilcox over at The Gadgeteer decided to take a look at a phone system that offers voice and data in places where your Nokia would resolutely refuse to grab even a single bar.  Using the Immarsat satellite network, the Thrane BGAN Explorer 500 terminal promises coverage wherever you can clearly aim up into space; the plus side is up to 464kbps downloads anywhere in the world, the downside is some seriously expensive pricing.





With a Bluetooth handset for voice calls, as well as ethernet, RJ-11, USB, an antenna jack and 12v power-out for accessories, the Explorer 500 covers all the connectivity bases.  Getting a signal is possible in less than two minutes, using the built-in compass and LCD display; according to Ben, call quality is better than a cellphone.

However there's an obvious downside: the terminal itself costs $2,800 and the cheapest monthly plan is $57 with no inclusive minutes or data allowance.  And with voice calls starting from $0.99 a minute and data at $6.50/MB or $3.25 a minute for streaming at 32kbps, you'll soon rack up a massive bill.  Pick a bundle package of 750MB data and 200 minutes a month, and you're looking at a regular bill for $2,800.

Like Ben says, if you've got an expense account and you travel off the beaten track, go for it; the rest of us will just have to find the nearest payphone!