This deserves repeating from the Loral thread. A nexus between Globalstar and those Loral data satellites - send the WWeb signal from the handset device to Globalstar to get the Loral data constellations to download the requested sites REALLY fast. Globalstar can carry the voice and Loral the data. But would a Globalstar device work on those weird Loral frequencies? Maybe this is just for fixed installations which don't have phone lines, but need an uplink. Yawn. Give me mobile.
But speak of the devil. Not that my buddy $ill is the devil, just that they DO have a new mission statement and it is similar to what I guessed. Not "Paradigm Shift Happens" [TM] but the long version - they obviously didn't graduate from Harvard or Wharton.
----------------------------------------------------------
To: John Stichnoth who wrote (6979)
From: Rocket Scientist Thursday, Nov 11 1999 7:14PM ET
Respond to Post # 6984 of 6986
Bill Sez:
"At Microsoft, our Everyday Web vision allows everyone to participate in the world of
online commerce, entertainment and services, whether it's from a PC, television or
mobile device," said Bill Gates, chairman and CEO of Microsoft.
Let's think about that...putting the emphasis on EVERYONE and MOBILE DEVICE, and taking into account MSFTS wireless knowledge JV with Q.
It's clear that Bill Gates' Teledesic partner is putting his money in ICO. Neither McCaw or Gates had any real money invested in Teledesic in the first place, and the project seems headed nowhere. Gates could join McC in backing ICO, but it's not clear he wouldn't consider G*/LOR a lower risk, faster to market approach, especially given Q's involvement in G*. Think about it, we have an operational LEO system for low bandwidth uplink, and a company with extensive orbital assets and slot rights for GEOS capable of broadband downlinks.....
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
To: Rocket Scientist who wrote (6984)
From: JMD Thursday, Nov 11 1999 8:29PM ET
Respond to Post # 6985 of 6986
John, Rocket Scientist: after a few months off the SI boards, I'm reluctant to return as a cheerleader for Loral, much less in the face of the MSFT rumor mill. I too respect Valueman and know that he reached his negative CURRENT opinion on LOR only after careful analysis and repeated 'failure to deliver' on time performance from Bernie and his team. Further, the LOR risk factor has dramatically escalated given the dependence on Globalstar's success/failure: what once was a very appetizing leg under the stool (among many other legs) has become a big time support, the loss of which would be devastating.
All that said, I do think it's possible that data could be riding to the rescue--if LEO telephony holds less promise than originally envisioned, I have to believe that Gates and company remain committed to the Internet in the Sky. And I know damn well that Teledesic doesn't have a bat's chance of getting launched.
Throw in the Qualcomm CDMA/HDR/Wireless Knowledge nexus between LOR and MSFT, and you have some plausibility. Finally, that volume today is irrefutable: "follow the money" works for stocks and Watergate investigators. It could all be hype, but I for one will hang in because I think the only mistake in investing in LOR was being too early and that I underestimated the insane complexity/difficulty of getting an airborne communications system up and running.
One cannot argue with Valueman: Mr. Schwartz and team are late on lots of things. That is simply a statement of fact. And if it were anybody but Mr. Schwartz, I'd have bailed out a long time ago. But it is Mr. Schwartz, and he's worth making an exception for. Oh man, I hope I don't eat those words.
Regards, Mike Doyle
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
