Whether there's a hurricane heading your way or you're about to cast off towards the great blue horizon, it's a good idea to test your satellite phone.
We've included testing instructions for three of the most popular satellite phone carriers. These testing calls are free for active airtime customers. (IE: they won't consume any of your airtime).
There is one very important thing to note: You must have active airtime on your satellite phone in order to test if it's working! There is no way to test your satellite phone without active prepaid or postpaid (subscription) airtime enabled on the phone.
If you want to test your satellite phone far in advance of needing to use it on a more routine basis, we would recommend purchasing a small amount of prepaid airtime for testing purposes and then loading a bigger amount of airtime for when you start to use it more.
TEST YOUR IRIDIUM SATELLITE PHONE
As a service to all satellite phone users, Iridium provides a dedicated test number to call and ensure your handset is working properly at all times. To test,
- Turn on your phone and make sure it registers on the network.
- Call 1-480-752-5105*
- If your phone is working, you will hear a call completion confirmation message as well some quick tips on proper handset usage. If you discover that your phone is not operational, contact your Iridium service provider.
*Calls from Iridium handsets will not be charged airtime.
Don't have active airtime? We have extremely competitive prices on Iridium prepaid airtime and Iridium postpaid airtime.
TEST YOUR ISATPHONE
As long as you have active airtime on your satellite phone, you can test to see whether your IsatPhone Pro or IsatPhone 2 is working without incurring airtime charges.
- Make sure you have a registered signal on your satellite phone.
- Dial +8707 7699 9999.
- (You may need to dial "00" first)
- Press the green call button.
- If the call is successful you will hear a recorded message from Inmarsat.
Need airtime for your IsatPhone Pro or IsatPhone 2? Inmarsat has very reasonably priced prepaid airtime options as well as competitive postpaid options.
They even have an "Emergency Plan" for North America (Continental USA, Alaska, and Cananda) for only $24.99 a month.
TEST YOUR GLOBALSTAR PHONE
As long as you have active airtime, you can dial #TEST on your Globalstar satellite phone. If you hear a recorded message from Globalstar, the phone is working.
Don't have airtime for your Globalstar phone? Globalstar now has prepaid airtime options - great for seasonal users (and hurricane season!) Globalstar still offers its great postpaid airtime options as well - check those out here.
Further Reading
Not sure which satellite phone or system is right for you? We want to help you understand the complicated world of satellite equipment so that you can make the best choice for your needs. Here is our most popular free guide:
Free Guide to Affordable Satellite Broadband Internet