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.

Technology Stocks : IRID - Iridium World Communications IPO Announced! -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Pseudo Biologist who wrote (529)	3/30/1998 1:53:00 PM
From: Larry L	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 2693

To all: Some insight into Iridium pricing of calls. Please be aware that this is ONLY Iridium Japan's pricing model. TOKYO, JAPAN, 1998 MAR 29 (NB) -- By Martyn Williams, Newsbytes. With three quarters of its 66 satellite network already in place and launch of the remaining craft due shortly, Nippon Iridium, the Japanese operator of the Iridium service, has announced its proposed services and charges. The company said it will offer two basic satellite-based services, one telephony and one paging, and plans to begin service on September 23. Charges for both services will be levied in U.S. dollars. For the telephony service, two basic versions will be offered. The international service allows users to make and receive calls anywhere in the world while the Japan service restricts use to Japan-only, although users can make and receive international telephone calls. Subscribers to both services will have twelve digit telephone numbers, beginning with 8816 for international plan users and 8817 for domestic plan users. Users will pay an initial joining fee of 10,000 yen ($77) and a monthly basic charge of $50, before call charges. Calls from Japanese telephones and cellular telephones to Iridium units will cost a flat $6.54 per minute for calls to international plan subscribers, with 8816 numbers, and $2.61 per minute for calls to domestic plan subscribers, with 8817 numbers. Calls from Iridium telephones are determined by several charging structure, depending on where the telephone is being used and who is being called. For calls between Iridium telephones, calls to domestic plan subscribers will cost $2.67 per minute, while calls to international plan subscribers will be based on where the call is being made from, within a 16-zone system. Within Japan, calls will cost $5.31 per minute. Other charges vary, from the most expensive $6.59 per minute from China to the cheapest $4.64 from North America. Calls from Iridium telephones to fixed line or conventional cellular telephones will cost $1.67, for domestic plan subscribers, and be based on a zone system for international users. While inside Japan, charges will range from $8.11 per minute, for calls to central Africa to $4.52 for calls to Asia. International plan subscribers calling within Japan will be charged $1.64 per minute and other charges will be levied when international plan subscribers make calls from other countries. A further set of charges apply when Iridium telephones are being used on roaming networks. The handsets will be dual-mode, capable of being used with terrestrial cellular services, only defaulting to the satellite service when out of the range of a local signal. When on roaming networks, calls will be charged at the local rate for international calls, plus an Iridium roaming surcharge of between $1.07 and $2.04 per minute for calls to fixed line or cellular telephones. For calls from roaming networks to Iridium telephones, charges will range from $8.71 to $7.73 per minute. The paging service will cost $100 per month, or $30 per month when combined with the cellular telephony service.