Case Studies | Personal Safety
Paul Pagano
Staying connected and prepared for anything during regular forays into remote Australia.
The Challenge
Paul Pagano is a keen traveller, adventurer and recreational fisherman who regularly travels into remote regions of Australia without mobile phone coverage and requires reliable communications in case of mishap or emergency.
The Solution
The Thuraya SatSleeve smartphone adaptor allows Paul to quickly and easily convert his existing mobile phone into a satellite phone with reliable coverage in some of the most remote parts of the country. This has proven an invaluable and extremely cost-effective way to stay connected, providing peace of mind and proving its worth in a variety of challenging scenarios.
“It’s a safety net for the whole group to reach the outside world. For all the positives I don’t think there were any negatives. It’s peace of mind and only takes a couple of minutes to connect and you’re right to go. ”
Paul Pagano Adventurer
The Recreational Challenge
Paul Pagano loves nothing better than venturing into the remotest regions of Australia on regular camping and fishing expeditions.
As a younger man he admits he took plenty of risks to satisfy his taste for adventure, but now, at age 52, he takes a more considered approach. “I’ve started to look now at a little more of a safety net,” Paul says.
He also volunteers with Marine Rescue on Sydney Harbour, so he knows all about the need for a safety-first mindset. The list of things that can go wrong on these remote adventures is long and varied – from boating or mechanical mishaps to serious injury and encounters with dangerous marine life.
There’s also the simple peace of mind of being able to remain connected to family and friends to let them know you are safe and well, and to be contactable should emergencies arise at home.
A simple, affordable form of mobile satellite communication is needed without incurring greater expense and investment in bulky equipment than necessary.
The Recreational Solution
Paul’s approach these days is to always pack a Thuraya SatSleeve to make sure he’s connected and ready for any eventuality.
It’s small and portable, simple to use and cost-effective, while offering reliable coverage anywhere in the country.
The Thuraya SatSleeve proved its worth during a recent fishing trip into the Gulf of Carpentaria in the Northern Territory. “At 5am I was woken up by one of the other campers to say, your boat’s sunk,” Paul recalls.
Indeed his 4.5 metre runabout was upside down, its hull barely visible above the lapping water in the pre-dawn darkness. “Inside the boat was an EPIRB (Emergency Position-Indicating Radio Beacon). We rolled the boat over and the EPIRB was flashing and screaming.” Within a couple of minutes, Paul was able to contact the nearest Search and Rescue centre, who’d picked up his EPIRB signal and had just despatched a search plane. Paul was able to let them know he was safe, cancel the search and save himself close to $10,000 in search costs with one call.
“I gave them a call within three minutes of the EPIRB floating to the surface. They were very grateful that I was able to call and cancel the search. They’d already despatched a plane to look for us,” says Paul.
He was also able to call the nearest police station, 200km away, who’d been contacted by Search and Rescue and were about to join the search. “I was able to call police, search and rescue, as well as my insurance company and tidy it all up and carry on with the rest of my holiday without having to drive 200km to find a local phone.”
The Outcome
The Thuraya SatSleeve is now an essential item in Paul’s travel kit, and he recommends others do the same.
Now, when he’s on the road he lets family and friends back home know the satellite phone will be switched on between 6pm and 8pm each evening if anyone should need to contact him.
“Everyone knew the phone would be on. It’s just great peace of mind. I told a few people, if you want to contact us you call us because that’s cheapest,” he says.
“It’s a safety net for the whole group to reach the outside world. If you’re in a serious situation you don’t care how much it costs.
For all the positives I don’t think there were any negatives. It’s not bad to have in the car. All the grey nomads, 100% they should have them. It’s peace of mind. It takes a couple of minutes to connect and you’re right to go. It’s my insurance. You can use it globally. I’m off to Bali and I’ll take it with me.”
The Hardware
Satellite Phones
Pivotel's satellite phones keep you safe and connected with voice and SMS communications across New Zealand and beyond.
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