Phone service in remote area

[BigAl]

Hi All,
Hope you can help . We have a place that is very remote in Idaho . The celluar phone will not pickup anything even though we are on top of the mountain . The local phone company wants big bucks to set up service . We only use the place about 6 months a year and don't want to pay for year round service to keep the same phone number . Any ideas or new stuff out there that might work ?
Thanks ,
Big Al

 

[Lazy]

Hi
you might try directwave and use internet phone

http://home.comcast.net/~jacana704/directv/directwave-satellite.html

Charlie

but it might be nice to be without a phone or Internet service for 6 months.

 

[DocHeb]

Try Googling "Satellite Phone Service". It returns 3,500,000 hits so you'll have a lot of choices. These systems use satellites rather than cell-towers. There are several iterations available, with some prepay plans that cost only when you use them, and some contract plans that charge monthly and have a per-minute fee. More expensive than cellular, but may be cheaper and are definitely more mobile than land-lines.

 

[DaveNay]

Enjoy the peace and quiet? /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Dave

 

[LAGEORGE]

BigAl, The satellite truck I work in has three satellite phones that work anywhere, even Cuba. The company that provided the service was known as American Mobile Satellite Corporation. I know they got sold and do not know the new name. I was told that the service (in 1997) was 100 dollars a mouth with 100 minutes and you get a toll free number. The per min. charge was around $1.40 per min.
The phones sound like crap but at least you get dial tone and they do work!

George

PS: You can get the dome antenna installed on a car as well. You can talk and drive with this system (it tracks)

 

[Henry]

Try Global Star

They are the predominant satellite phone company that's still in business.

 

[hayden]

Do you know how far you are from a cell tower? I've got a remote place in VT and I'm 20 miles as the crow flies from a tower, but with a Yagi directional antenna, I get very acceptable cell service.

The other option if you belly up for land-line service is to "suspend" the service for the 6 months you are not there. My guess is that Satellite service will end up being more expensive.

Peter

 

[anthonyk]

you might try one of those inexpensive antennae amplifier circuits you drop into your cell phone.
I've never used one, but they are advertised as greatly improving reception, and lowering dropped calls, and seem to run about 10 bucks.

Anthony

 

[BobReeves]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( you might try one of those inexpensive antennae amplifier circuits you drop into your cell phone. Anthony )</font>

Snake oil, don't waste your money.

 

[KubotaSteve]

I've seen one of those Satellite phones that is self contained in a brief case and will work anywhere except on the South Pole. The only drawback is they are about $18,000 plus you have to subscribe to a service.
Another thing you may check into is a phone installed in your vehicle as most cell phones are not as powerful as the ones in cars not to mention they use a larger antenna. You could also look into getting a desktop antenna to hook into your cellphone. My sister in law is in charge of the parks in our county and some were not serviceable with a normal cell phone but by adding the antenna on top of her car she could get service.
good luck