[liberationtech] Questions about satellite phones + satellite Internet

[Christian Payne]

Hi Yosem,
I'm not entirely sure what your specific needs are, or the threat level to the comms in your area but an 'anthropogenic or natural disaster' sounds to me more like an emergency situation rather than just needing to keep in contact with work.

At times like this sat phones can become congested very quickly. A satellite phone although expensive is a great portable global comms solution but I only tend to use them when in less populated areas (at sea or in the middle east). InReach (https://explore.garmin.com/en-GB/inreach/) seems to be an affordable solution if all you need is sat messaging. 

I'm by no means a prepper by US standards but in the UK the soft version of that is someone into bushcraft outdoor pursuits and survival. I have a passing interest in those things but mostly like the gadgets that let me set up my own comms systems.

For local mesh-networked communication I have Gotenna (https://gotenna.com). They enable RF comms between a smartphone app. This is only text based from phone to phone but does not need GSM. Handy when out hiking or at festivals with congested celltowers. The more units you buy the further/wider the reach.

I have also reinstalled a CB home base that was really for nostalgic reasons but I'm having fun easily communicating with people in a 30mile radius.

For family I have hand held VHF walkie talkies. Very cheap, usb charged and can talk comfortably over 5miles although we have had success over 20 miles, point to point from high ground.


I also have a Ham radio setup for round-the-world comms but have not used it yet as I'm yet to take my licence. A simple enough thing when I have time. There is also a HAM licence-lite in the UK where you can buy the privilege to use the lower powered radios with no exam.

Just having a HAM radio is valuable for emergency news from people on the ground. Preppers, weather, police and emergency services are active across a variety of frequencies reachable with these radios on and off the amateur radio bands.

Another interesting option is a hand held VHF radio to a repeater (often on backup power over here) which via a system called Echolink (http://www.echolink.org <http://www.echolink.org/>) can communicate globally to a cellphone. You would need licences for radios and the radios need to be left monitoring if you don't have a prearranged time to contact. Echolink also works from cellphone to radio.

There is also some interesting things happening in the SATCOM space but this for me is still a steep learning curve. https://www.radiohobbyist.org/blog/?p=913 <https://www.radiohobbyist.org/blog/?p=913>

None of these options offer totally secure comms. Some are encrypted but without private keys. It is possible but it’s against radio licensing laws over here and probably over there. Not that that would be an issue in an emergency. Personally as long as you are aware what you are saying can be heard by all, I find great value in these broadcast channels. Perfect for fast information dissemination.

If you have the money for both get both sat and radio options. Most decent sat phones can be a wifi hotspot. No need for two sat subscriptions. But check which sat network can handle the numbers.

Hope this helps,
Kindest,
christian


Christian Payne
Creative Technologist
Web: www.documentally.com



When not talking, training or documenting you’ll find me writing.
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> On 6 Dec 2019, at 21:54, Yosem Companys <ycompanys at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> Hey All,
> 
> I'm new to the world of satellite phones + satellite Internet. I can't find an informative guide that will help me figure out the best options.
> 
> Anyone know where I could find such information?
> 
> Based on my exhaustive search, it seems the best generally speaking are Iridium and ViaSat, respectively. (For Iridium, that assumes one has line of sight.) But would it be best to do both or get Iridium Go only and use one's cell phone via a satellite link or have a dedicated satellite phone? More important, how can one assess whether one's geographic location is ideally suited for one service vis-a-vis the other?
> 
> For perspective, I live on the Silicon Valley Coastside (i.e., Half Moon Bay). Comcast and AT&T rely on PG&E's transmission cables for Internet access. As such, whenever a power shutdown occurs, many of us on the Coastside are left without cable or Internet access. I shudder to think what would happen during the Big One. Even when there are no power shutoffs, however, Comcast appears to throttle our community on a regular basis.
> 
> As such, I'm thinking about getting a combo of satellite phone and/or satellite Internet both to improve my Internet service and to maintain communication during an anthropogenic or natural disaster. 
> 
> Any suggestions?
> 
> Thanks,
> Yosem
> -- 
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