Anyone Have a Satellite Phone?

I remember when sat phones were the domain of the military or journalists with bucks reporting on events half a world away.

Anybody have one? Googling has shown that sat phones are working their way into the consumer market. I have seen them for 6-700 bucks for the phone plus a couple hundred a month (USD) for service. (may be more, just off the top of my head)

As a lot of people who live in the backcountry areas know, cellphones tend to crap out in valleys and such.

I go out in in the boondocks a lot and am wondering if any Dopers use them, and are you happy with them?