Start up news: Handset constrained, what a weak situation.
IRIDIUM CANADA DEBUTS SERVICE
Iridium Canada will initially offer both satellite voice service and calling card service. Iridium World Paging Service will be available in
Canada on December 1 and cellular roaming services will be offered in January. Iridium pricing will range from approximately
$2.50/minute for calls within North America whereas the cost for calls to other regions will range from approximately $2/minute to
$13/minute. The rate varies depending from where the call is placed and where it ends. [Canada Newswire November 2, 1998]
IRIDUM SOFT LAUNCHES GLOBAL SERVICE
Iridium, the global satellite-based mobile phone network, finally went on-line November 1, providing service to 121 countries around
the world. Iridium made a "soft launch'' to meet the readjusted deadline. With satellite cross-link rates hovering at slightly less than
80 percent, Iridium decided to launch the service and upgrade it step by step.' Domestically (Korea), the company has secured 660
subscribers so far. One of the initial problems Korean subscribers will face appears to be a shortage of handsets. Only about 100
telephone sets are available exclusively for satellite communications. The shortage will be eased with additional handset imports by
the middle of this month. Satellite-cellular dual mode handsets will be supplied later next month. Charges (for Korea) are set at
$1.48 per minute for local calls, while international call rates will range between $4 and $6. [Korea Herald November 1, 1998] The
most expensive call on the Iridium network will be one placed from Argentina to China. That will cost $12.60 a minute. Here's an
example of how it might work: a caller in the Gobi Desert in the heart of China is trying to reach a cellphone in Winnipeg. First, the
call is beamed from the hand-held Motorola-manufactured Iridium phone up to one of Iridium's low-flying satellites. The satellite
bounces the call to other satellites, which hover about 780 kilometres above the Earth, until the call gets to the one hanging over
North America. From there, the call is beamed down to one of two North American Iridium gateways, either in Hawaii or in Chandler,
Ariz., before it's transferred into the North American land-based telephone network. From there, it's routed to the local cellphone
transmitter in Winnipeg, where it can reach the driver stuck in traffic at Portage and Main. [Financial Post October 31, 1998]
IRIDIUM STARTUP DELAYED IN RUSSIA
The start of the use of the first worldwide satellite telecommunications system, Iridium, which was scheduled for 1st November, is
being delayed in Russia and many other countries. The reason for the delay is that an insufficient number of Motorola telephones
arrived in time for the launch. In Russia, operation is planned to begin between 20th November and 1st December. [BBC Monitoring
International Reports November 1, 1998]
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