Hi again Oliver, Your NZ$0.20/min is the low end for a negotiated corporate customer using a lot of minutes. The NZ$1.60 peak time I quoted is towards the high end for Vodafone GSM [there are higher such as Vodafone's Prepay at $1.90 or so for peak calls and 50c per minute off peak with no contract or monthly fees but minimum NZ$20 per 60 days in calls and a handset costing NZ$50 - actually $150 but including $100 of free calls.]
Since corporate customers are most likely to be Globalstar mobile customers, you are right that comparison with the best available commercial rates is better than the low volume user rates I quoted.
The roaming figure I quoted was direct from Vodafone's NZ web page.
vodafone.co.nz
where you can also compare the various pricing plans I to VI. VI offers NZ$0.42 as the cheapest per minute rate published with additional minutes at 30c per minute. That plan costs $300, in advance, for 700 minutes. How come you have such cheap rates from Vodafone?
Anyway, on to how Globalstar will charge and find you to put a call through - I don't know. I assume they will be able to make your phone ring and I suppose they won't charge the person calling any more than what it would be to phone a GSM phone. These phone companies have got a long way to go before their price plans and calling methods are user friendly. Competition should sort them out one of these days. Though I'm not holding my breath.
The main thing is Globalstar can sell just under US$0.10 per minute and not lose money. Terrestrial networks are still mostly over that outside USA and competitive markets. If they are available.
Cellular pricing is going to evolve [downwards] over the next 6 months, so it's mainly guesswork just now. But it looks as though Globalstar will be able to be comparable even with your cheap deal if marketing needs dictate that.
True enough, if you are roaming and can't see enough sky, you'll be stuck with huge roaming charges. But there are huge areas where there is no coverage so I guess there will be big demand in places like USA/Australia/New Zealand/Japan/China/Russia even if there are normally cellphone services in the area where a person spends most of their time. So although you won't use very many Globalstar minutes, I dare say you'd find a GSM/Globalstar handset very handy for when your yacht is on the wrong side of Great Barrier Island or you are playing golf at Waitakere, or holidaying or making a commercial trip around Eketahuna, visiting Canada which has a LOT of sky and HIGH roaming charges, if there is any service at your lake in Algonquin Park.
True enough, the back of beyond, China, Uganda and other places will use a lot of minutes and should be getting sales calls now. China Telecom is no doubt doing that as we 'speak'.
Maurice |
