Mobell

Panic Over!

Tuesday, August 26th, 2008

Some of you may have noticed that we have been offline for the last 2 days, due to technical problems. We’re OK now, but please accept our apologies if it caused you any inconvenience.

International Websites

Thursday, July 10th, 2008

In order to serve our international customers we have websites for residents of America and Japan. Please note neither Mobell Communications Ltd or Mobal Communications Inc are in any way associated with the U.S. Bell Telephone Companies.

Cellular phone rental for Japanese residents

Based in Tokyo, Mobell Japan offers international phone rental with English speaking customer support.

www.mobell.co.jp

Cell phone and satellite phone rental for US residents

Based in New York, Mobal offers cellular and satellite phone rental, as well as GSM purchase packages.

www.mobalrental.com

New Counter Opened in Narita Airport, Japan

Thursday, July 10th, 2008

Mobell Japan has opened a new counter in Tokyo’s Narita International Airport.

Located by Departures in Narita’s Terminal 1, the counter provides flexible mobile communication solutions for business travellers and tourists alike.

From the new counter, you will be able to either purchase or rent GSM mobile phones and Mobell SIM cards.

Take the hassle out of travelling

For frequent travellers, the offer to purchase a GSM mobile phone and Mobell SIM card before you travel will help take the hassle out of all your future trips.

You will receive just one phone number that will not change, no matter where you are calling from. You will have to make just one initial payment for the handset and SIM card, after that you only pay for your call charges. There are no monthly line rental costs.

For travellers needing a mobile phone for a short period of time, Mobell will offer an easy to use rental service.

All you pay for is the rental of the handset and the call charges. Again, you need only one phone number and there are no monthly line rental costs. There is no need to reserve in advance, just visit the store and go.

For both the rental and purchase offers, bi-lingual support is available in Japanese and English.

If you are travelling from Narita Airport and need to keep in contact then visit our counter and take advantage of these great services.

Satellite Phones help develop ‘Backpack Journalists’ in Iraq

Monday, July 7th, 2008

Sending journalists out to report on unrest in the Middle East is not a new concept for the media; news articles from the Gulf War, Afghanistan, and Iraq have dominated recent times.

However, the difference in Iraq is the technology they are using to file their reports, it has undergone something of a technological revolution. Access to specialist satellite equipment is open to more people than ever before.

MOBELL EQUIPS FRONT LINE REPORTERS

Mobell has helped equip the only two Midlands based journalists with some of the hardware they need to report ‘up to the minute’ news from the front lines in Iraq.

Deputy editor Keith Harrison and photographer Alan Evans of the Express & Star have hired an Iridium Satellite phone to use alongside their RBGAN satellite modem and Apple G3 laptop computer in the Gulf as part of their standard equipment.

Using the Iridium network of 66 satellites orbiting the Earth at an altitude of 450 miles, the journalists will be able to speak to their news desk back in England without having to rely on the Iraqi telephone networks that could become a military target. Express & Star deputy editor Keith Harrison with Iridium satellite phone

SATELLITE TECHNOLOGY BECOMES USER FRIENDLY

The use of satellite phones is not a totally new development for war reporters, they were used in the Gulf War back in 1991, the difference lies in the size and availability of satellite phones. Today, instead of having to operate 40kg units that needed generators or mains power, journalists are able to use handsets like the Iridium satellite phone that weighs a much friendlier 382g and, operates much like a standard mobile phone.

Also, as is the case with all technologies, the more developed they become the lower the prices go. Now it is not just the media market leaders that can afford to use satellite technology but many freelancers and smaller companies as well.

REATER MEDIA COVERAGE

The term ‘Backpack Journalist’ has been coined to describe this new generation of reporters who are using compact, light weight satellite technology such as the Iridium satellite phone; one person with one pack can carry all the equipment needed to file news reports. As a result it is easier for them to operate from the thick of the action.

What this means for people back home is more spontaneous, independent and ‘up to the minute’ information from the world’s danger zones.

Satellite Phone Saves Explorer’s Lives

Monday, July 7th, 2008

The rescue of two explorers from the notoriously dangerous and icy waters of the Antarctic pays testament to the invaluable service that an Iridium Satellite Phone provides.

RECORD ATTEMPT

When making provisions for their attempt to land a Robinson R44 Raven helicopter at the South Pole, the two experienced adventures, Steve Brooks and Quentin Smith, looked to Mobell to supply the solutions to the communication problems that arise when travelling in one of the world’s most inhospitable climates.

Not only does the Iridium Satellite Phone provide a reliable and truly global telephone service but also, and of equal importance, it provides peace of mind.

LIFE SAVING PHONE CALL

Thus when Brooks and Smith were forced to ditch their helicopter and bail into a life raft, they were able to raise the alarm by using the Iridium Satellite Phone to call Steve’s wife 8,000 miles away in London.

Nine hours adrift later they were picked up safe and sound, save for a bit of a chill, by the Chilean Navy. Without the valuable satellite link the consequences could have been fatal.

IRIDIUM NETWORK

The service is possible from such remote locations by utilising a network of 66 different satellites orbiting the Earth at an altitude of 450 miles and, travelling at a staggering 16,832 miles per hour. At that speed the planet can be completely circled every 100 minutes by each satellite.

Such is the configuration that an Iridium handset can be in contact with at least one of those satellites from anywhere on the globe. The only constant that the user has to adhere to is that the handset antenna must always have a clear line of sight to the sky.

In areas such as the Antarctic, mobile phones linked to conventional networks would be completely unusable.

So if like Steve and Quentin you are thinking of embarking on adventure, be it the South Pole or just the South Downs, by taking an Iridium Satellite Phone you can be safe in the knowledge that help is only a call away, and you never know, It could make the difference between life and death.

Careers With Mobell

Monday, July 7th, 2008

Mobell is a well-established and respected company in the world of mobile telecommunications. We are also a dynamic and forward thinking company who are constantly developing our existing services, and exploring new ones.

We are looking for bright, computer literate people with initiative. Guaranteed improvement on existing salary. Training provided.

Satellite Phone Provides Safety for Ethiopa Expedition

Thursday, July 3rd, 2008

Over the New Year seven students, three teachers, one guest, one chef, one assistant, one mountain guide, two guards, ten mules, ten muleteers, two Kalashnikov assault rifles and a Mobell Iridium satellite phone set off to trek the Simien Mountains of northern Ethiopia.

Of this eclectic assemblage, the students and teachers, from Bradfield College - Berkshire, would become the first school party to climb Mount Ras Dashen, which at 15,160 feet, is the 4th highest mountain in Africa.

Exotic Sites

In the process of achieving this enterprise they would be exposed to some of the most eye-opening and exotic environments that the Earth could offer.

From bustling Addis Ababa, to the faded royal grandeur of Gondar, via the rock strewn topography of the Simien Mountains, to the rock hewn churches of Lalibela, not to mention calling in at the final resting place of the Ark of the Covenant in historic Axum. All very ‘Indiana Jones’ I’m sure you will agree.

Indeed, for all those involved this was a ‘once in a lifetime’ experience (perhaps with the exception of the local guides).
Such an adventure always requires thought and planning but, as this was a college trip with students being placed in the care of teachers, it required even more thought and planning than usual.

Student Safety

A fear over safety has led to increased scrutiny, by both the authorities and the media, of the guidelines governing the taking of students and teachers on adventure activities, both in the UK and overseas.

With this in mind the decision to hire an Iridium satellite phone was a prudent choice for the organisers of the Bradfield College Expedition.

Using the Iridium satellite phone, which is able to make calls from any locale on the planet, they would be able to raise the alarm at any time.

Ethiopia after all is a vast country. Covering 450,000 square miles, it is over twice the size of France and yet, with a populace of approximately 66,000,000 it is only marginally more populous than the UK.

If during the course of their 3-week trek the group were to encounter any problems, they would often be a long way from any form of settlement or aid. Even in urban areas, local telecommunication infrastructures cannot always be relied upon. The Iridium satellite phone could prove invaluable in a crisis.

Christmas Calls

Fortuitously the group did not encounter any major troubles or mishaps, however, they were able to use the satellite phone to keep in daily contact and advise the relevant authorities of their progress. The satellite phone also came in handy for receiving calls from the various parents to wish their adventurous offspring a happy Christmas day.

Supporting trips like Bradfield College’s Ethiopia Expedition is just one of the useful applications satellite technologies, like the Iridium system, is fast being adopted for. The ability to make calls from any location will hopefully go some way to increase the safety of group adventure tourism in the future.