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To all: From the Loral Stream. Estimates of numbers of subscribers, minutes of use, revenue, net profit etc. Because Globalstar Telecommunications Limited only owns 20% of Globalstar LP you need to adjust the projected net profit accordingly. The numbers are a bit garbled, but you'll get some ideas.
Beefeater, while the nominated target markets don't totally overlap, they will both be competing for the highest paying customers. The only difference I see is that Globalstar can offer services to a wider range of customers because their costs are lower. Iridium service won't have any "Executive, Hot-Shot Businessman, Wealthy International Traveller" benefits that Globalstar can't offer at a cheaper price. Globalstar will also have the advantage of being an on-ramp to the technological future, while Iridium will be an evolutionary dead-end.
Yes, you have got it right in as much as Globalstar is also planning to instal photovoltaic phone boxes in poor areas so that one phone can service rural, poor, villages. Iridium calls will be too expensive so Globalstar will be preferred by these customers.
Is there any benefit of the Iridium system that Globalstar can't offer? Yes, it will be first in operation, unless Iridium have further delays, so that will be some advantage. Iridium will also have more satellites at lower altitude, so the average signal path length will be somewhat shorter, so handset battery life should be a bit better. That is until Globalstar gets its second constellation launched when Globalstar's average signal path length will be much closer to Iridium's.
The Globalstar system will initially have less redundancy than Iridium, so if a ground station gets bombed or otherwise damaged, calls from an area would be cut. Similarly, until the sky is full of satellites, a bullseye on a satellite by space junk will make a bigger gap in Globalstar than Iridium. These are unlikely risks though. But perhaps of concern to some people.
I'm sure Globalstar will vigorously pursue the "wealthy globetrotter" and try to get there before Iridium. Overall, Globalstar's costs and benefits seem dramatically better than Iridum's
As you also point out, Iridium has got a lot more money to raise before they are operational. Globalstar might be going back to shareholders sooner rather than later to fund a second constellation. Though they can probably fund it from cash flow from the first.
Maurice |
