Satellite Airtime Plans

Introducing the new Build Your Own Iridium Rate Plan. It offers simplified service fees and more flexibility. Pay $27.95 monthly or $335 annually Airtime will be billed at $1.49 per minute GMPCS is pleased to offer the lowest monthly fee and the maximum in flexibility to allow you to build the airtime plan that suits your needs.

As an alternative to the 500 Prepaid Airtime Card, our new Build Your Own Rate Plan allows you to pre-purchase airtime in blocks of 100 minutes which can reduce the standard rate of $1.49 per minute to as low $0.99 per minute. Each block of minutes is good for one year from the date of purchase. Once the block is used up, the airtime rate returns to $1.49 per minute. Additional airtime blocks can be purchased at any time. See chart of pre-purchasable blocks below.

Purchase an Iridium 9505A satellite phone and you will be offered these new airtime options during the checkout process.

Listed below are the rate plans and information related to Thuraya airtime services. These prices are representative for this service.

Prepaid Airtime
To use prepaid airtime, customers simply purchase a Thuraya Classic Prepaid Sim Card for $79.00, and then purchase recharges as they need them. (Includes: $10.00 in airtime)

Additional airtime is added to Prepaid Sims by purchasing digital scratch card recharges, offered in small, medium or large denominations:

Important Notes
• You have six months from the date of activation to place your first call or the prepaid sim card will deactivate (requiring sim replacement)
• Prepaid sim card is valid for one year from date of first call, but airtime voucher must be added within 90 days of expiration, or SIM card will be deactivated (see below for changes in Prepaid Sim renewal process starting in July, 2007)
• Maximum extension of prepaid SIM is 18 months.
• Each Unit is approximately equal to one minute of voice talk time.
• Prepaid airtime is non-refundable.
• 2 stage dialing is not available for the Thuraya system. This means callers will be charged international rates when calling your Thuraya phone.

Postpaid  Airtime
Postpaid airtime is offered on a one-year contract at a cost of $47.50/month. Airtime is at a rate of $1.49/minute to landline destinations and other Thuraya phones via satellite mode. There is a $50.00 one-time activation fee.

Postpaid Calls to other systems:
$3.99/minute for GSM calls. $10.00/minute for calls to other satellite systems.

Important Notes  

Additional rules and limitations apply, please read the GMPCS service agreement for complete details.
All postpaid accounts subject to credit approval.
$250.00 early termination fee for postpaid airtime.

Thuraya Prepaid SIM Renewal Process
As renewal approaches, expiration reminder messages are sent every other day for 15 days prior to the account expiration date.

If the subscriber has enough credits in their account, there are two ways in which the account can be renewed:
1. Subscriber can renew immediately by dialing "150" and selecting option "6" within the 15 day period prior to expiration.
2. The subscriber can just let the account automatically renew after it expires. An SMS will be sent confirming the renewal.

If the subscriber does not have sufficient credit in his/her account, a grace period will be granted, during which the account will be automatically renewed if the subscriber tops up with the required amount. If the account is not topped-up/recharged, the account will be automatically closed.

Yearly tariffs for account renewal
• $99 for customers using less than $120 of satellite airtime annually
• $60 for customers using more than $120 of satellite airtime annually
• Free renewal for heavy users (more then $2500 annually)