Satellite Airtime

Accurate and efficient call data records and billing

TC are suppliers of satellite airtime and bill across all three paradigms – Air, Land & Sea, and as such TC’s provides airtime data logs and invoices under AeroQuik RemoteLink & Maritime respectively. 

You can connect your satcoms terminal with TC primarily via the Iridium and Inmarsat Network. TC connect all Satellite terminals such as Iridium handheld satphone, BGAN, RBGAN, Fleet, GAN (M4), Mini M, Sat B, C, Thuraya, D+ (SatTracker) and Swift 64.

TC’s Airtime dept ensures that our billing run is supplied to our customer’s in a timely and above all accurate manner. Your data log, which is included with your bill, includes all the call details such as date of call, time called, number called and minutes used. These logs are created in similar format to your Landline phone bill.

Helpful hints on making and receiving calls on and to a satellite phone

Using an Iridium Satellite Phone (MOTOROLA 9500 Series)

The following instructions are intended as a supplement to your owner's manual. Please read the manual thoroughly before using your satphone to ensure optimum performance.

To make calls and when receiving calls from your IRIDIUM phone the satphone must be turned on and the antenna properly deployed.

• Making Calls FROM Your IRIDIUM Satphone

  (Dial: 00 + Country Code + Area Code + Tel #)

• Making Calls To an IRIDIUM Satphone
  

  (Dial: Int'l Dialing Code + IRIDIUM Phone Number)

  For example: for a voice call from anywhere in Australia to your satphone, dial 00 + (enter number)

• Making Calls To an IRIDIUM Satphone
  From an IRIDIUM Satphone

  (Dial: 00+ Iridium Phone Number)

  To make a call to another IRIDIUM phone, simply dial 00 and the phone number of the other unit, then press the “OK” button. Calls to another IRIDIUM phone are billed at the rate published in our rate schedule.

  Should you require any technical assistance, please call our support line on (02) 9714 5140.

Using an Inmarsat terminal

Terminals using the Inmarsat network vary from the small Mini M and Bgan to the Fleet and Saturn B terminals and, as such the way in which a call is made can vary in as many ways as there is terminals. Click on the links below for individual terminal information. 

BGAN, RBGAN, World Communicator, Mini M, Fleet, Sat B

• Making Calls To an Inmarsat Satellite Phone

  (International access code + Inmarsat region code
  + Inmarsat Mobile Number (IMN))

  For example: for a voice call from anywhere in Australia to your satphone in Australia, dial 0011 + 870 + Inmarsat Mobile Number.

The Inmarsat region code 870 automatically routes the caller through to the Inmarsat terminal regardless of which Inmarsat Ocean Region the terminal is in – ie. anywhere in the world. This can be only used for dialling Inmarsat mobile numbers beginning with 3, 5, 6, or 76.

Alternatively, there are satellite code numbers for each of the four Inmarsat Ocean Regions, if you know where the vessel is. If the terminal you wish to contact has not been assigned the 870 Inmarsat satellite code, you will need to know the whereabouts of the terminal and the Inmarsat Ocean Region in which it is located.

The four Inmarsat Ocean Region codes are as follows:

Region	Satellite code for phone/fax	Satellite code for telex
Atlantic Ocean Region East (AOR-E)	871	581
Pacific Ocean Region (POR)	872	582
Indian Ocean Region (IOR)	873	583
Atlantic Ocean Region West (AOR-W)	871	584

The Inmarsat mobile number starts with 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 76.  These digits identify to the Land Earth Station Operator (LESO) what type of Inmarsat service the caller is trying to use (eg. Fleet 77, Inmarsat C, Mini M  etc).

To contact Inmarsat mobile numbers starting with	Dial
3, 5, 6, 76	00 + 870 or 871 or 872 or 873 or 874  + mobile number
1 (by phone)	00 + 871 or 872 or 873 or 874 + mobile number
1 (by fax/data)	00 + 871 or 872 or 873 or 874 + 81 + mobile number
4 (telex only)	00 + 581 or 582 or 583 or 584 + mobile number

To send a telex to an Inmarsat A terminal (digit 1), dial 0, plus the ocean region code, plus mobile number, plus "+".

Times for Cheaper calls

The Inmarsat network provides cheaper call rates in off peak periods. The Super Quiet Time (SQT) promotion enables crews to call home at low rates, using prepay cards, in weekday off-peak periods and all weekend. There is also low-rate calling during public holidays and festivals, such as Christmas, Diwali and Eid ul-Fitr.

Costs of calling from Terrestrial to Satellite Phones

Costs of calling a satellite phone from a landline is a common question asked when people are inquiring about satellite phones. The cost of the call from a landline is the same as an international call and the cost is determined by what package and with whom your landline calls are with, for example Telstra, Optus and AAPT etc.