Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Pastimes : Clown-Free Zone... sorry, no clowns allowed -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Ilaine who wrote (58267)	1/16/2001 8:52:57 PM
From: Starowl	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 436258

CobaltBlue, re. "Inmarsat can give you 64 kBps but the equipment is unwieldy," the newest Inmarsat--the M4 terminal--really is not unwieldy; the earlier A and B models were big and heavy and indeed fit that definition. The M4 is about the size of a laptop computer and maybe 10-12 pounds, sets up quickly, has internal battery power, and can connect your laptop to an ISDN ISP for a good 64kbps Internet link, or you can connect back to an ISDN office LAN. The charges for such a data connection, however, are pricey--around $7.50/minute. If you just use the voice option, the charges are more reasonable--about $2.70/minute. Of all the portable satellite phones, I rate Inmarsat as the most reliable and versatile and coverage is nearly global (the poles are the exception. The new M4 terminals also have a USB port and a serial port in addition to the ISDN and RJ11 standard phone jacks. Soon, Inmarsat will have a packet data service and is moving toward broadband with a 256kbps service. Regarding Orbcomm, can it really get you 56kbps? Basically, Orbcomm is a very low capacity system which is intended to transmit very short messages only, mostly postion reports and other data relating to various inputs at the mobile site. You can use the system/equipment to send and receive "Globalgrams" but it isn't well suited to that kind of service. At least that's my understanding.