SaharaSafaris.org

Satellite phones operators have their network works through satellites and not masts on buildings like other GSM mobile operators. This enables them to work internationally and in oceans (and deserts!) with the same handset for their users.

Thuraya, Inmarsat, Iridium are examples of such operators but we depend on Al-Thuraya in the middle-east, and therefore the rest of this article is heavily explaining it.

Pricing

There are two (2) ways of prices to using Thuraya in Egypt.
FIRST, is to use their SIM cards in the phone which will apply their 'local' price-tariffs on calling any other Thuraya phone. In this case you receive a dial number starting with +882-16 and every caller who tried to reach you will have to get this number to reach you and will have to initiate it on their phones as an international call. This is little used.

SECOND --and more common option-- is to use one GSM SIM card (such as MobiNil, Vodafone, or Etisalat) in the AlThuraya handset. The callers who try to reach you will keep calling on your normal number which is local to them. The SIM line then sends or receives calls on this handset as if roaming abroad and you can be charged less by just receiving it. The prices per minute and SMS for each mobile Operator is as following:

Same as the above in one table. 

Important Explanatory Notes:

1. The pink-highlighted cells above is an example to read the table. It means that if you using Etisalat GreenLine SIM on AlThuraya, that you pay 1 EGP per minute to receive any call from Vodafone or MobiNil, you pay 21 EGP per minute to call any Vodafone or MobiNil phone number. If you are using MobiNil, you pay 34.5 EGP per minute to call any Vodafone or MobiNil number.
2. All prices above are put including the additional 15% tax (some Operators report different from others) to make all prices comparable.
3. In Telecom language, 'IN' or 'INCOMING' means when you 'receive' the call or SMS. 'OUT' or 'OUTGOING' means when you 'initiate' the call or 'send' SMS from your phone. Obviously VOICE means normal Calls. Also, LOCAL means in the same roaming country you're in which in this case is specifically AlThuraya's SIM on any handset (yes they have SIMs too!).
4. The prices above are applicable only when you put your own SIM (Etisalat/Mobinil/Vodafone) in the AlThuraya handset and go outside the Coverage where AlThuraya satellite then allows you to use your SIM in the desert or Sea as if you're roaming in another country.
5. The prices above applies mainly on Postpaid (khat or fatoura) lines. For those who use Prepaid (kart), please consult the Customer Care of your Mobile Operator (and add 15% taxes in cases of Mobinil and Vodafone). You may like to ask advice on any of the above numbers and come back here to add corrections/updates.
6. Thuraya doesn't have Data services (to be checked?) nor Video Calls (although others may have one or others of those services) so those costs don't apply. In fact, it doesn't categorize as 2G or 3G but a different thing altogether so those services shouldn't be compared.

AlThuraya Coverage:

It covers most of the Old World, except North East Asia, Atlantic Ocean and South Africa as in the following:

Handsets

The handset of Thuraya is a special one and cannot be used on any other Network. It's bought specifically to be used on Al-Thuraya network. Here's the image of one manufactured by ASCOM: