More news from the Southern Hemisphere (where it will soon be "Spring")
Vodafone/Australia put out a nice locally tailored press release following the last G* launch reprinted below, and opened a Globalstar web page at
globalstar.vodafone.com.au./default.asp
Still a little vague about when they'll launch service, and nothing about prices, but, heck it's much better than most of the SPs are doing.
Monday, August 23, 1999
Dubbo signals the future of regional
communications
36 Vodafone Globalstar satellites now
launched
Vodafone Globalstar is a step closer to providing
all Australians with a fully integrated, quality and
affordable satellite mobile service with the launch
of four more low-earth-orbiting (LEO) satellites
into space. The launch, by international partner
Globalstar, brings the number of Vodafone
Globalstar satellites that have been successfully
launched to 36.
The Globalstar satellites, manufactured by prime
contractor Space Systems/Loral, were launched
on August 17 at 2:37pm Dubbo time aboard a
Boeing Delta II launch vehicle from the Cape
Canaveral Air Station in Florida.
According to Vodafone Globalstar Director, Peter
Bolger, this latest launch means Vodafone
Globalstar can look forward to the kick-off of its
service next year.
"The new service will transform the way people
and businesses communicate in rural and
regional areas, as Vodafone Globalstar
customers will soon be able to make or receive
mobile calls, send faxes and messages or
transfer data even when in the most remote
parts of the country," said Mr Bolger.
The Vodafone Globalstar gateway in Dubbo,
once again, was one of six Globalstar telemetry
command unit gateways worldwide used by
engineers at Globalstar's ground control centre
in San Jose, California to raise the satellites.
The other two Australian gateways are located in
Mt Isa in Queensland, and Meekatharra in
Western Australia. These gateways will switch
calls received via the Globalstar satellites onto
other networks in Australia and internationally, in
an identical fashion to GSM base stations.
Vodafone's Globalstar service in Australia will be
delivered through a 52-satellite low earth orbiting
constellation (including four spares in orbit)
which will provide 100 per cent land mass
coverage of Australia.
About Vodafone Globalstar
Vodafone Globalstar is part of a world
telecommunications network comprising 52
satellites in low earth orbit. The compact dual
mode Vodafone Globalstar handset will
communicate through these satellites to one of
three groundstations in Australia – Dubbo in
NSW, Meekatharra in Western Australia and Mt
Isa in Queensland. These stations, also known
as gateways, will direct and receive calls to and
from all other existing telecommunications
networks and provide Vodafone mobile coverage
to 100 per cent of Australia. For more
information, visit Vodafone Globalstar's web site
at globalstar.vodafone.com.au.
About Globalstar
Globalstar, led by founding partner Loral Space &
Communications, is a partnership of the world's
leading telecommunications service providers
and equipment manufacturers, including
Qualcomm Incorporated, AirTouch
Communications, Alcatel, Alenia, China Telecom
(HK), DACOM, Daimler-Chrysler Aerospace,
Elsacom (a Finmeccanica Company), France
Telecom, Hyundai, Space Systems/Loral and
Vodafone. For more information, visit
Globalstar's web site at
globalstar.com.
About Vodafone
Vodafone is one of Australia's leading wireless
telecommunications providers offering quality
services to more than one million Australian
customers. Vodafone is also a leader in the
Australian pre-paid mobile telephone market.
Worldwide, Vodafone AirTouch Plc is the world's
largest mobile telecommunications company
with almost 28 million customers, excluding
paging customers. From April to June 1999, the
Group signed up more than 2.303 million net new
proportionate customers worldwide.
The company has interests in mobile telephone
networks in 23 countries over five continents. It
operates through three divisions: the UK;
Europe, Middle East and Africa; and USA/Asia
Pacific. For more information, visit Vodafone's
web site at vodafone.com.au
Note: Vodafone is a trade mark, spelt with an ‘f'
and not a ‘ph'.
For more information please contact:
Michelle Hindson, General Manager Corporate
Communications, Vodafone
(02) 9415 7049 or 0414 207 049 |
