Eric L., Tero's faulty idea was that people with no other means of communication would prefer to die unaided rather than have a car-kit installed, or marine phone, or aircraft, or remote fixed phone. <"The weight and stand-by times of Globalstar models render them commercially unviable >
Size doesn't matter in a monster SUV/RV/Truck, boat, or out in the boonies in a farm house. Being able to brain a moose might even be an advantage.
Of course it would have been better to have a smaller phone, or even an ESP version hot-wired to nerves and cochlear in a bionic version, but it's the net benefit which matters, not one particular aspect.
The big problem was the cost. The phones cost $thousands, the minutes cost a fortune [US$3 a minute at least] with minimum monthly payments. Not many people are willing to pay so much. They'd rather take their chances, or wait until they get back to town.
If the minutes had been free, and phones $1000 or less, demand would have been a LOT higher. The system would have filled then supply and demand could work its magic. There would now be a second constellation starting service.
As Bernie Schwartz said, he didn't know marketing's tits from its elbows [or words to that effect]. Unfortunately, neither did the underlings.
Mqurice |
