We strongly recommend you asses your individual situation before deciding whether to buy or rent a satellite phone. If you only need the device for a matter of days or weeks, we highly advise renting as it will be much cheaper for you. However, if you plan on using a sat phone for an extended period of time, and not just on an adhoc excursion i.e. you will use it again in future, then consider purchasing the handset and paying for airtime as and when you need it.