T&T: Satellite service for Vonage phone / Internet in Costa Rica

[Truelove39@aol.com]

Communications needn't be expensive. We have been using Iridium here in the  
Windwards since 2001. From recent experience, Mini-M is now down to  
$1.45-$1.55 with no monthly fee and a 1 sec. billing interval. Since Mini-M  operates 
in a spot beam, calls are uninterrupted. The same cannot be said for  Iridium 
or, much worse, Globalstar, both of which use satellites which rise  and set 
and will drop calls, especially near high terrain such along the coast  of St. 
Lucia and many other islands here. They are also very susceptible to NO  
SERVICE while hams and other cruisers are transmitting nearby using Pactor  
(SailMail and Airmail). These systems are too slow for Internet, but the  Mini-M 
provides reasonable cost for reliable voice and data. Seahorse came to us  with 
Mini-m, but since we already have Iridium on the sailboat, we take the  Iridium 
unit back and forth, and are currently looking to get rid of the  Mini-M.
 
We have wifi aboard here in Trinidad, and it has a reasonable speed  
(250+Kbps), but using it for Skype from computer to landline (and  vice-versa) is 
problematic; we assume because the ping time to the States  varies from 
200-1000ms! Friends who have it report much the same, and no  one is happy with it. 
Skype from computer to computer however, is  excellent, and we'd expect Vonage to 
be the same.
 
Again, Globalstar does NOT enjoy a good reputation for service in the  
Eastern Caribbean; that's one reason why the phones and service are so  cheap.
 
Regards,
 
John
"Seahorse"
 

>> Karen asked:  "Can anyone help with information on what  satellite service 
is available in the
Costa Rica area to support Internet and  Vonage phone access?

>Scott replied:
Any of the global  geo-synchronous or LEO systems will likely provide you 
voice and data  capabilities in Costa  Rica, but the price is going to floor you. 
 My  Fleet 33 system provides voice at $1.95 per min and $4.00 per megabit of 
 data.  Your Vonage call will not be "free" or even cost less than the  
$1.95/min that Fleet charges.  

If you can find a marina with WiFi  there may be some hope.  Using CNET's 
hotspot locator there appear to be 8  free hotspots in the country.  Googling 
"free wifi costa rica" yields a few  hits, a hotel here and there.  I see 
multiple references to free hot spots  in Los Suenos.  

I'm researching this myself because we are heading  that way  in less than a 
year.  I'm resigned to using the Fleet and  keeping my usage in check, while 
hoping to use OCENS compression as much as  possible.  

Globalstar should be less expensive than the Fleet  system.  Another Nordhavn 
owner just told me a friend of his spent $4,000  using his Fleet system in 
Mexico last year.  Wow!  I guess that's why  it's a 3rd world country?  I hope 
others have better news, you might ask  this question on the PUP list.