Star wars come to Beirut
(via I* thread)
dailystar.com.lb:80/business/b020399d.htm
Kirsten Vance
Daily Star staff
The technological revolution has not slowed since the invention of the
microchip, continuing to move into new territory. The Arabcom '99
exhibition in Beirut brought a taste of where the next battles will be in
orbit, thousands of kilometers overhead. Companies tore a page right out
of NASA with their reels of film showing the launching of new satellites.
From the Internet to mobile phones, television and video, satellites are
advancing and bringing a convergence of the various modes of
communication. Today about 14 percent of the earth's surface is covered
by cellular phone services, and by 2000 that figure will jump to 20
percent. The rest of the Earth can only be reached by satellite.
The average city dweller may never require more than a regular cell
phone. But companies providing mobile phones which operate either as a
cellular or satellite phone will target those who travel frequently or find
themselves in remote parts of the world.
The first off the block, Iridium Middle East, launched its satellite services
in November last year. Part of the Iridium holding company, which is
based in Washington and listed on the Nasdaq, the regional company is
owned by Saudi Binladen Group and Mawarid Group. A network of 66
low Earth orbit satellites (LEOS) and 12 gateway stations, the worldwide
project has cost $7 billion to establish.
Iridium Middle East is currently operational in five of 21 countries. The
company is in talks with Lebanon's Ministry of Post and
Telecommunications to get an one-band license and will then negotiate
with the local service providers. The firm hopes to start services in
Lebanon in April or May.
As with most new technologies, satellite phone services will not come
cheaply. Iridium handsets will cost about $3,500, while calls will cost
between $2 and $10 a minute depending on the country and the type of
call. “We don't pretend to target the 500 million cellphone users,” said
Johan Raath, the executive vice president of marketing for Iridium ME.
“The top 2 to 5 percent will probably be right in our target market.”
But as the star wars heat up so will the price wars. And eventually
satellite phone services are expected to become just another option for
cellphone subscribers, like voice mail or call-forwarding are today.
“Satellites are the thing of the future,” said Emil Samarah, the marketing
manager of Thuraya satellite telecommunications company. A regional
company based in the U.A.E., Thuraya promises to enter the fray with
affordable prices. Its services will cover 99 countries in Europe, Africa,
the Middle East, the former Soviet Union and Asia. With an investment
of $1 billion and an initial capacity of 1.8 million subscribers, the firm
plans to be operational by September next year.
Mobile phones are moving beyond just voice communications. Data
transfer over mobile phones will move beyond sending and receiving
messages, and in about a year Internet access will be available, predicted
Jan Embro, president of Ericsson Lebanon.
“The big thing will be broad-band,” he said. “The future will bring a
convergence of voice, data and video.” That will bring TV, radio, Internet
and video to one apparatus, be it the TV set, computer or even
cellphone.
DS: 02/03/99
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