CelTrek - a new int'l SIM

[GadgetKen]

Originally Posted by DRNewcomb

All incoming calls have been very reliable, even when the earthquake right after Christmas disrupted communications all around the western Pacific....The Keys are frequently visited by hurricanes and I'd hate to have the service shut down because of a storm.

Glad to hear CelTrek worked when other options did not. Maybe they will add additional local number areas as they expand and you can switch your phone number to avoid a potential storm service disruption with the Florida Keys inbound number.
Have a satphone (Iridium) that I've used in instances where I ran out of communication options, but call costs are fairly high, and best used outside for direct line of sight. Thinking of getting another international prepaid sim (other than my current United Mobile sim) to expand coverage, and add features (which is why I was curious about Celtrek's upcoming data offering). Probably won't need until the end of the year, so I'll see how CelTrek and their competitors work out before I decide on another sim.

[DRNewcomb]

Originally Posted by GadgetKen

Glad to hear CelTrek worked when other options did not. Maybe they will add additional local number areas as they expand and you can switch your phone number to avoid a potential storm service disruption with the Florida Keys inbound number.

My assumption was that the connection back to T-Mobile was via the Pacific undersea cables, which were cut, while the connection to CelTrek went back to Israel the other way. Had the earthquake been in the Indian ocean the results might have been different.

Have a satphone (Iridium) that I've used in instances where I ran out of communication options, but call costs are fairly high, and best used outside for direct line of sight. Thinking of getting another international prepaid sim (other than my current United Mobile sim) to expand coverage, and add features (which is why I was curious about Celtrek's upcoming data offering). Probably won't need until the end of the year, so I'll see how CelTrek and their competitors work out before I decide on another sim.

I had an Iridium account until they raised the monthly fee. In my case it was more of a toy than a tool. Only once (just after Huricane Katrina) did I wish I still had it.

[GadgetKen]

That would make sense with the CelTrek card working because it didn't need the Pacific cable.
After some thought, my solution for another card may actually be a Digicel card. Travel to the Caribbean for pleasure, and their sim cards are good for inexpensive roaming across their the entire Caribbean network (can also roam on Cingular in the US for about a dollar a minute) plus I could refill over the web to keep the card alive between trips. Would also give me data if I signed up for it. Cable and Wireless bMobile service is another possibility but I've generally had better luck with Digicel for voice quality and call completion.
For travel to Canada (business) I have Fido, and for an aviation museum trip to the UK in the fall I can use the United Mobile card.
Still might consider CelTrek in the future if they offer data and United Mobile doesn't come up with an offer to compete.