Globalstar recently expanded its "Home Zone" to include most of South America. Why is this a good thing for Globalstar users? Remember that Globalstar operates a lot like a cellular carrier, with roaming fees, long distance, etc.
Unlike other satellite carriers, where you pay a flat price per minute to call anywhere in the world, Globalstar charges a much lower per-minute fee (about 30% less than competition) while you're in the "home zone" and then charges a higher per-minute fee for roaming outside of the "home zone."
Basically if you're in the "home zone" you get cheap satellite calling. If you're outside the "home zone" you're still in luck because Globalstar recently overhauled their complicated "roaming calculator" to put in place flat-fees for roaming and long distance.
Roaming Rates: $1.49/minute while roaming outside the expanded Home Zone. No additional minutes deducted.
Long Distance: $0.20/minute + minutes used will be deducted from your airtime bundle for calls within the expanded Home Zone to countries outside the expanded Home Zone.With Orbit and Galaxy airtime plans, you can now call from North America, Europe, Brazil and Northern Africa without incurring roaming charges. Long distance rates may still apply.