Soldiers call home via satellite

KVOA.com ^

[SandRat]

First, there were letters; what's now referred to as "snail mail."

Next, email came along.

Now, some military families are "catching the wave" of wireless communication via satellite.

It's a costly way to communicate unless you pool your resources.

Thanks to satellite time purchased by Sgt. Brad Frey, he's able to talk to and see his wife Andrea and their two young boys from his computer in Afghanistan.

Andrea logged onto the computer and set up a satellite feed while News 4 was there. She said to him, "We can see you."

Sgt. Frey and seven of his friends; other soldiers decided to put their money together and buy satellite time in order to see their families whenever they wanted.

"He asked me about it at first and he didn't have eight guys yet. And I was like, 'It's going to be how much?' "

Buying satellite is not cheap.

"He says the satellite was $3,500 and that includes three months of service," she said.

That was the initial set up. Now the cost is about $28.00 every three months per soldier.

Andrea says its well worth the money, "We just try to hit and miss, whatever time works and just sometimes to see his face makes the day."

Via satellite Sgt. Frey watched his wife as we interviewed her.

He first asked if we were there, typing the words, "Are you being interviewed?"

According to the Frey family, communicating via satellite is a trend that's catching on among many military families.

"For convenience and I mean, it's hard to not see your family for a year or more and this has just made it that much easier," she said.

Until Sgt. Frey is home for two weeks in August, Andrea says satellite is the next best thing.

"If it wasn't for this it would definitely make this year and a half very; well, longer than it already is."

While News 4 was there, it was difficult to hear Sgt. Frey because of a time delay.

Also, Andrea says the other soldiers who pay for the satellite time were also likely on at the same time.

The good thing about the system is they can also type words to each other on the days when they can't hear each other that well.

[ARE SOLE]

Don’t they have Skype?

Regards

[SandRat]

Skype? ???????

[ARE SOLE]

The article says they can send Email, so they have an Internet connection. Skype is a program that allows users to communicate with other Skype users on phone calls or video conference type calls.