TP, Globalstar doesn't have noticeable voice delay because the satellites are only 1414 km high. You are probably thinking of geostationary satellites which ALWAYS have voice delay which drives people nuts.
Globalstar is more expensive than GEO phones will be per minute. But enough people would rather pay the difference and get the other benefits too [excellent voice, multipath].
There will NEVER be widespread terrestrial coverage in rural areas. The question is how soon will the cost of Globalstar get down to a level where nearly everyone wants to have a Globalstar option, just-in-case they go for a drive in the country. My guess is 5 years from now and huge numbers of people will want and be able to pay for it.
< My biggest worry about Globalstar, (and Loral), is that the cell phone and general networking revolution may spread so thoroughly in the world that there will be very few spots where the satellite is really needed. If price were equal, I think users would object to the annoying delay which is often a characteristic of satellite voice conversations. That doesn't leave a lot of room for Globalstar to position itself. It may be the modern version of the pony-express before telegraph wires crossed America.>
A comment about George Gilder's recommendations. Many Globalstar shareholders know [many bought at $30 or $50 as a direct result of George's recommendation] share prices go up and down. My understanding is that George recommends companies and technologies as being sound with tremendous techological and market prospects as part of The New Paradigm, NOT that the price at any particular time makes it a good buy. GG acolytes should be VERY aware of that.
Now, on the other hand, MY acolytes are now stacking Globalstar shares in their Tonka Trucks by the hundred if not thousand. We care about a bargain and Globalstar is now a supersonic bargain. Globalstar is fixing their poor pricing [by cutting minute prices]. Ericy is getting their handset act together [though the hagfish slime in the gizzards seems to be shorting the circuits, causing short battery life].
By the end of this year, Globalstar should have quite a lot of things going right.
You would not be wanting to look back from 2002 and see a price graph somewhat like QUALCOMM's if you bail out or 'wait for the price to settle for a week or two'.
A shame George doesn't 'get IT [TM]' about the most important technologies - he's still banging on about new shortages [time], surpluses [bandwidth]. Heck, he even thinks CO2 release by people isn't changing things. He even wrote some silly stuff about atheists versus the good guys.
The current Nasdaq and technology and Gilderian theme is the atavistic tribal and 'sun god' mentality where all this stuff revolves around 'us' = HomoSapiensMoron. Our sad protoplasmic existence is a cruel, cosmic, 1 April, DNA joke. It's working for me, [sort of] but...
The big technological shift coming is the reinventing of human DNA and the sentience of the Web. We just need to string the synapses around the world and learn how to clip DNA in and out. Oh yes, don't forget, there might be some Luddites and violent religious cranks who don't like the trend. The Unabomber will NOT like this one if he thought cars and steam engines were bad.
Remember, Major Paradigm Shift Happens and the biggest is just a glimmer in the distance. But the trend is clear.
Maurice |
