[Wireless Bucks]
Pat,
Ya get the feeling Motorola is a big believer in a wireless solution?
Fourth lead - Motorola To Launch New Satellite Service
In a filing with the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC), Motorola Inc., Schaumburg, IL. has outlined plans for its third satellite venture called "Celestri." Celestri will be a 63 satellite system (using both low and high satellite orbits) costing $12.9 billion. The system will deliver very-high speed data and video to international businesses, broadcasters, and telecommunications companies. The data rates will be between 64,000 and 155 million bits per second. The first Celestri satellite is planned for launch in 2001, and the system is planned to be operational by 2002. The rub here is that Motorola has asked for the same radio spectrum that a competing $9 billion satellite system called Teledesic (with partners Bill Gates and Craig McCaw) want to use. So, in the international satellite communications race the players are:
Celestri.....high-speed data, video.......63 satellites...$12.9 billion...Motorola.
Iridium.....voice, fax, paging............66 satellites...$$5.0 billion...Motorola.
Teledesic...high-speed data, video......288 satellites..$9.0 billion....McCaw/Gates.
SkyBridge..data....................... ...64 satellites..$3.9 billion....Alcatel-Loral.
GlobalStar..voice..........................48 satellites..$2.5 billion...Loral.
ICO Global Com...voice.................12 satellites...$4.6 billion...Hughes/Comsat.
(Wall Street Journal, A3/A6B, June 17, 1997) |
