Thenew Wideye iSavi by Addvalueis the first terminal approved for Inmarsat IsatHub service. IsatHub is intended for consumer-grade users of satellite broadband. It is easy to use. Theonly cable is forcharging. To call, text or web surf, on yoursmart phone or tablet, you simply need an app. Clearly, anyonetraveling beyond the reach ofconventional cellular service should consider the iSavi. That said, Inmarsat hasamuch more powerfulmobile broadband satellite service called Inmarsat BGAN. We suggest that you take a little time tocompare the iSavi to the EXPLORER 510. It costs a little more but you get much higher performance.

Comparisonof the new Inmarsat IsatHub service with InmarsatBGAN:

Inmarsat IsatHubis a new consumer-grade Inmarsat service that offersvoice, SMS and shared-bandwidthinternet access as fast as 384 kbps.

It is intended as a low-cost alternative to Inmarsat BGAN service. BGAN is an older Inmarsat service whichprovides internet access speeds up to 492 kbpsas well asstreaming IP data andISDNservices.

The chart below compares some Inmarsat IsatHub and Inmarsat BGAN service plans. IsatHub clearly has lower monthly fee and lower per MB usage costs for internet access, but BGAN offers faster internet and a plethora of additional capabilities. Prepaid BGAN is also available, and amazingly, for a customer expecting low usage but needing to retain a continuously active BGAN terminal, the prepaid option is by far the lowest cost -- even lower cost than IsatHub.

Compare iSavi and the EXPLORER 510:

We have carefully tested both the iSavi and the EXPLORER 510. The iSaviis slightly lighter and smaller than the EXPLORER 510, but the EXPLORER 510 has substantially fasterinternet access speeds especially for uploading data. It is alsobetter weatherized andcan operate at much lower temperatures and for longer time periods on a single charge.

Recharging the iSavi requires external AC wall power, and noDC car charger accessory is currently available. By comparison, the EXPLORER 510 can charge using eitherAC wall power or DC power sources between 10.5 VDC and 32 VDC. TheEXPLORER 510 has comparatively reducedpower requirements for recharging suggestingthat it is engineered with field use in mind. One result of this isthatsolar panel charging solutionsfor the EXPLORER 510 can berelatively small and lightweight.

Our opinion is that theEXPLORER 510in concert with an Inmarsat BGAN Prepaid Plan isthe best and most economical overall broadband mobile satellite solution for most users. Basically, anything the iSavi can do the EXPLORER 510 can do better. We are confident that most users will eventually find the additional hardware cost for the EXPLORER 510 worth the investment.

*Prices, rates and other specifications were accurate as of November 2015 at the time this blog article was first published but are subject to change without notice in the future. USF fees and other fees or taxes apply in addition to prices shown. Rental costs shown do not include usage, shipping, USF fees, other fees and taxes that the customer will be charged. This article tries to compare iSavi to the EXPLORER 510 but other comparisons are possible.

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