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Microcap & Penny Stocks : Globalstar Telecommunications Limited GSAT -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Rocket Scientist who wrote (8699)	12/16/1999 11:19:00 PM
From: Maurice Winn	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 29987

Anne Bargain? That's a bit of a joke name for such an overpriced service. It isn't clear, but it looks as though those European subscribers will buy 100 minutes per month whether they use them or not, with extras at 2 Euros per minute. Meanwhile, I've been figuring out the constellation and how the service provider startup plans fit into it. My guess is the following: * 48 satellites orbiting * 39 satellites operational at 10 Dec 99 * 43 satellites operational at 1 Jan 00 * 45 satellites operational at 15 Jan 00 * final Delta launch end of Jan 00 - making 52 satellites orbiting * 48 satellites operational as of 15 Feb 00 + 4 on-orbit spares The satellites were originally placed for a 40 satellite constellation. The original "start-of-service" was declared when 32 pegs were put into 40 of the holes. So the satellites will need to be moved around to fit the final constellation formation and that takes ages [doing it carefully so that no holes appear]. So service providers who are not too keen to get into service can argue that until 15 February, they don't really have a whole constellation to work with and that would presumably be the start of the clock ticking on their exclusivity. So the constellation is really taking shape and will be ready to rumble at the beginning of the year. A shame about the 'soft launch' in the third quarter and the hard launch on the 15 November, but that's life. Beats a Zenit any day! In fact, we did okay, getting only one rocket prang out of them all. Also, apart from minor defects like flat batteries, maybe the odd nut not tightened up on solar panels, soldering done with the wrong polarity on a direction controller on one satellite [who said Loral teaching China how to solder would be a threat to USA national security?], things have gone swimmingly. There must have been SOME defects such as those, but the satellites are apparently all performing near enough that they are considered okay. So all launches okay and all satellites okay [other than a busted dozen over Siberia]. Pretty good going. Handsets coming off the production line and even being sold direct from the Web with next day delivery! Still happy with it Michael? Any reports? Should be fine - the Qualcomm handsets got a serious workout in Geneva and no problems. Roll on February 2000. Maurice