Great post, Vman, as usual; Can I add a few items to your list?
1. G* Beta Testing. In six weeks, with luck, we'll have 24 sats in the air. That's plenty to do real system testing; I'd like to see thousands of UTs deployed as soon as possible to beta testers to check the system performance quality, billing systems, customer support, software, etc. etc. Second only to bad marketing, I think this was Iridium's big mistake. They lifted the current off their product with great and expensive fanfare before they were really ready to service customers. G* has the opportunity to start simulated operations with non-paying users months before the official start of service date; what's the plan to take advantage of the opportunity?
2. User Terminal orders. G* filled the pipeline with an initial order; when are the service providers going to step up to the plate with the next phase of orders, and what's the lead time for these orders. Some substantial orders by SPs would send a very powerful message to the street that they have confidence in the demand for the system and that UTs will be available to fill that demand in a timely manner. Minimize wasted minutes!
3. Same question for gateways; I was pleased to see in the G*14A that “substantially all” of the initial 38 GWs had been resold. What's the plan for additional ones, and how many more are planned, who pays for them and when?
4. What are the LT implications for G* of the QComm/Ericson deal? It would seem to be good news for G* as a CDMA system, but the stock didn't react at all. Is this a non-event for G*?
5. Fill rate on T6, SM5. Any idea how fast these new birds are filling up with new business (as opposed to shifting througput from other Loral sats)?
6. Greg Clark. Who is this million dollar man? He's been the COO for a little over a year now; is he worth his salt? Is he Bernard's heir apparent? How did he command a 1M$+ salary and 700K$ signing bonus? In the old Loral, Bernard was the outside guy and deal maker, while Lanza was the inside guy, and that combination was a winner for a long time. What is Clark?
Warm regards,
RS |
