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To: Maurice Winn who wrote (24204)	3/15/1999 6:29:00 AM
From: Jim Lurgio	Respond to of 152472

Iridium talk time 42 minutes and battery dies. biz.yahoo.com

To: Maurice Winn who wrote (24204)	3/15/1999 6:38:00 AM
From: brian h	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 152472

Maurice and all, A great launch. Go G. A change in tide is happening fast from down under. A GSM operator starts to order CDMA and wireless data gears. What a move. Telstra to Trial New Wireless Data Services, Nortel as Partner Sydney, March 15 (Bloomberg) -- Telstra Corp., Australia's No. 1 telecommunications company, will start trials early next year aimed at offering high-speed data and Internet services through its new wireless telephone network. Telstra has teamed with Canadian-based equipment seller Northern Telecom Ltd. to offer more advanced services via its new A$420 million (US$260 million) Code Division Multiple Access network, which will start operation in October. The company's CDMA network will eventually allow mobile phone users to surf the Internet and receive and transmit data, using so-called ''third-generation'' services. ''It is part of our plan to evolve towards third- generation services,'' said Greg Young, a Telstra product manager. ''It will offer data speeds of 144 kilobits per second which is 10 times the current speeds on offer.'' Fierce competition in the digital cellular phone market, which is expanding at more than 50 percent a year, makes it imperative for companies such as the dominant Telstra to keep their customers. Telstra's CDMA network will also meet government requirements demanding cellular services be available to rural and remote customers once the existing analog service is shut down at the end of 2000. New data and Internet services may encourage them to stay with Telstra when the analog network is closed. Aside from CDMA, customers can switch to the global service for mobile (GSM) networks offered by all mobile companies. (A possible GSM-CDMA overlay play???> Telstra has about 1.3 million analog cellular phone customers, of which 80 percent must switch services by the end of this year. Dominance Telstra's customers account for about 55 percent of Australia's A$4 billion total cellular phone market. No. 2 ranked Cable & Wireless Optus Ltd. and Vodafone Australia, a unit of Vodafone Group Plc account for most of the rest. About 31 percent of all Australians, or 6 million people, have cellular phones, while analysts estimate about 2 million people use the Internet on a regular basis. Telstra's also Australia's No. 1 Internet service provider and revealed earlier this month it plans to offer customers direct access to interactive online services through their cellular phones, using a new technology known as wireless application protocol. ''As an Internet operator, we know how fast this market is growing,'' Young said. ''We see this evolution into the mobile market as an important move.''* Telstra joins U.S.-based companies such as Bell Atlantic Corp., which has already started trials of data and Internet services via CDMA. Under Wraps The company is yet to reveal its pricing plans for the CDMA service, though analysts said the company is likely to offer cheaper prices than its GSM service, to attract new users. ''The consumer market is one where significant penetration can be made,'' Young said. ''We will certainly have a competitive offerings for network access fees, air-time connection charges and handset prices.'' Brian H.

To: Maurice Winn who wrote (24204)	3/15/1999 7:23:00 AM
From: SKIP PAUL	Respond to of 152472

Here is the Bloomberg story: Globalstar Launches Four Satellites on Russian Rocket (Update1) Globalstar Launches Four Satellites on Russian Rocket (Update1) (Adds Globalstar comment in 3rd paragraph, details.) Moscow, March 15 (Bloomberg) -- Globalstar Telecommunications Ltd., launched four satellites as it tries to catch up with rival Iridium LLC and start a satellite-based telephone system allowing users to make or receive calls anywhere in the world. Globalstar launched the satellites from Baikonur in Kazakhstan on a Russian Soyuz-Ikar rocket yesterday at 10:06 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, the company said. The satellites were separated from the upper stage at 1:37 a.m. EST today, bringing the number of satellites in orbit to 16. ''The flawless execution of Globalstar's second Soyuz launch further reinforces our confidence in the reliability and robustness of our launch campaign,'' said Bernard L. Schwartz, chairman and chief executive officer of Globalstar, in a statement. ''We are looking forward to initiating commercial service in the fall.'' Globalstar's plans call for the start of commercial service by September, almost a year after its main competitor, Iridium LLC, a joint venture led by Motorola Inc., began operations. Globalstar has scheduled nine additional launches this year, each carrying four satellites. Globalstar's last launch from Baikonur put four satellites into orbit on Feb. 9. The Soyuz-Ikar launch vehicle is manufactured by Starsem, a joint venture created in 1996 by Aerospatiale SA, France's No. 1 aerospace company, Arianespace -- Europe's satellite launch group - -the Russian Space Agency and Russia's Samara-based space center TsSKB-Progress Soyuz. Globalstar plans to have 32 satellites in orbit to start commercial service in the third quarter. The company plans to have 48, plus four in-orbit spares, by the end of 1999. Salomon Smith Barney reiterated its ''buy'' recommendation for Globalstar on Friday. Globalstar was raised to ''strong buy'' from ''buy'' by ING Baring Furman Selz LLC on March 1. Globalstar shares rose 4.2 percent or 11/16 on Friday to 17 1/16, while Loral Space & Communications Ltd., Globalstar's largest shareholder, rose 2.74 percent or 1/2 to 18 3/4. NYSE/AMEX delayed 20 min. NASDAQ delayed 15 min.