Souze, a couple of thoughts regarding your experience with G* data and car kit.
Data upgrade:
The little card is in fact a sim card. It performs the same function as one of those european sim cards that allow you to place the sim in any phone and make phone calls on your own number. However, the particular sim in the G* tri-mode phone is not compatible with the european phone, or so I'm told by G* customer service. Not sure why that is so, but my fantasy of taking the sim with me to europe and using it in a gsm phone over there has just evaporated.
car kit:
I've spent some time talking to G* and to Verizon while considering purchase of my own car kit. The best set up I can come up with thus far is as follows:
Activation of two Verizon lines on the shared minute plan - one new phone (free from Verizon) and the other activated in the G* tri-mode phone.
Normal operation - just use my personal Verizon cell. However, if driving for an extended period, or whenever traveling - I will forward my personal cell to the G* cell, and I will leave the G* tri-mode cell in "no answer call forwarding" mode to the sat phone.
Here's the problem with that scenario. First, Verizon dings me 15 cents per minute, in addition to cell air time charges, for all forwarded calls. Hence, a call to my personal cell forwarded to, and answered by, the G* cell will cost me an additional 15 cents a minute. Should the G* cell be out of range, the call would then be answered by the sat phone and that would be another 15 cents plus air time. Now we're talking 30 cents tacked on top of the satellite air charges. Finally, for this to truly work the sat phone will need voice mail so that, should the antennae not be deployed, the call will go to a message center. To get that functionality requires I pay G* an extra $10 per month. Further, I will only know about G* satellite messages if I deploy the sat antennae. Simply turning it on (which normally puts it into cell mode) won't retrieve the "message waiting" alert.
Long winded, I know - but here's the point. I've been asking G* customer service, and Verizon, and G* IR and anyone else I can get hold of to have Verizon market a G* package that is tailored to the G* phone user. Probably two lines with shared minutes as described above, but no call forwarding surcharges. I think G* should eliminate the voice mail charge as well. By doing just those
two things, the phone becomes much more user friendly. Should Verizon actively begin to promote this as a cellular extension package it might begin to attract the attention of the "normal" cell user who has occasional need for satellite. In short, get Verizon to both treat the system, and promote it, as a nearly seamless extension of cellular for anyone who needs to stay in touch.
Oh, about the inability to get notification of a message on the G* system unless antennae is deployed - that one is insoluble so long as cell number and sat number are separate. Once combined, of course, then voice mail notification will go out over cell and sat. Last I heard sat / cell one number is a long ways off for US, although already available in europe. I guess that's the beauty of europe's sim approach - avoids the compartmentalization of each service.
Thanks for keeping us apprised of your car kit experience. I'm anxious to learn how (completely) you are able to integrate the new capability into your regular phone use.
Happy new Year.
Pierre |
