Keeping in touch with Earth from Cloud Nine.
For the sake of discussion, let’s say your island is too far from the mainland to be accessible by a telephone landline or cellular network. You’ve got to keep in touch no matter where you are, but consider who you’re going to be contacting the most and why. From there, you can determine what your needs technology-wise will be, and how much you should be spending on keeping yourself connected- despite being an island unto yourself.
In recent years, two-way radios have become popular with consumers looking for an alternative to cellphones. In addition to the General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS), the Family Radio Service- FRS for short- has provided ultra high frequency (UHF) radio communication to the North American public since 1994. Operating above the bandwidth used by cordless phones, remote-controlled toys and other radio devices, the FRS is a dedicated system, minimizing radio interference to ensure clarity.
This is ideal for island owners who want to stay in touch with family or neighbours, as two-way radios connected on the UHF band have a range of up to thirteen kilometers, broader than the span of most islands. FRS radios are approved for use throughout North America, with service extended throughout Canada and Mexico, as well as Brazil and much of South America. In Europe, however, different licensing standards prohibit the use of FRS radio. Here, PMR446- Personal Mobile Radio, 446 MHz- connects people on the UHF band as a European analogue to the FRS system. Most companies producing cellular phone technology, such as Motorola, now develop affordable two-way radios as well, with handsets available at most stores dealing in all things gadget.
If you’re thinking about how to stay in touch with the mainland, however, you’re probably going to need a bit of a longer reach. Satellite phones provide exactly that, although at a significantly greater price. Using the global network of Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites, a hand-held phone will enable you to reach anyone anywhere on the planet, even if that person isn’t linked to the same network. Many satphones are issued numbers specific to the host country’s calling code. Inmarsat, for example, issue their units with codes +870 through +874, while Iridium satphones are issued with codes +881 6 and +881 7. Other providers, notably Globalstar in the United States, use standard telephone numbers in the same format as US domestic phone lines. First developed for use by the military, satellite phones are especially rugged and well-adapted to expedition and isolation, and can be lifesavers in an emergency.
If your island is geographically remote, safety considerations need to drive the buying decision. In many parts of the world, cellular networks may not retain their signal strength where your island is located. Should a medical emergency or natural disaster arise, help depends on how well connected you are, and satellite phones are a worthy expense for the peace of mind and preparedness they entail.
