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To: djane who wrote (3489)	3/18/1999 12:52:00 AM
From: brian h	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 29987

Djane and all, ICO is for real. U.S. FCC to Vote on Proposal for Satellite Telephone Service Washington, March 17 (Bloomberg) -- U.S. regulators are set to vote on a proposal tomorrow that would bring ICO Global Communications a step closer to offering its planned worldwide, satellite-based wireless phone service in the U.S. The draft proposal under consideration by the Federal Communications Commission spells out how ICO and other companies will share space in the 2 gigahertz spectrum of the airwaves, which the FCC has earmarked for mobile communications. Boeing Co., Globalstar Telecommunications Ltd., Iridium World Communications Ltd. and Mobile Communications Holding Inc. also have filed to use the spectrum block. London-based ICO plans to launch a 10-satellite network by August 2000 providing phone, fax and other communications services. ICO needs the U.S. FCC to grant its licenses speedily to meet that deadline. ''This licensing proceeding is, at rock bottom, about two things -- the efficient use of spectrum and the need for competition'' in the satellite marketplace, said Francis Coleman, ICO's director Of regulatory affairs for North America. ICO plans to be the third company to market in the global satellite phone business after Iridium and Globalstar, which have asked the FCC for permission to launch additional satellites for 2-gigahertz service. They're already licensed in the U.S. to provide their satellite service in a different block of airwaves. The $5 billion Iridium network of 66 low-orbit satellites began operation Nov. 1. Globalstar, which plans to begin commercial service by September, expects to have 48 satellites and four in-orbit spares in place by year end. The FCC's proposal will be open to public comment before it adopts a final licensing plan later this year. Brian H.

To: djane who wrote (3489)	3/18/1999 2:46:00 PM
From: djane	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 29987

Iridium and Starwood Hotels Join Forces to Provide Added Value to Global Business Travelers Business Wire - March 18, 1999 11:36 HANNOVER, GERMANY--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 18, 1999--Iridium LLC (NASDAQ: IRID)and Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. today announced a joint marketing agreement to enhance communications needs of international business travelers, while providing new benefits to their customers. The agreement enables Iridium and Starwood to jointly promote each other's products and services through sponsorships, promotions and advertising. It will also support Iridium's overall marketing efforts as the global consortium successfully launched the world's first satellite-based personal communications system in late 1998. Starwood's hotel brands include The Luxury Collection, W Hotels, Westin Hotels & Resorts, Sheraton Hotels & Resorts, Four Points Hotels and Caesars. "We are pleased to partner with Starwood Hotels & Resorts, a recognized worldwide leader in the hospitality industry," said Edward F. Staiano, Iridium's Vice Chairman and CEO. "Many of Starwood's valued guests are business travelers who need to be able to communicate anytime, anywhere." Starwood is the first hospitality company that has agreed to offer Iridium products to its customers. Members of Starwood's new frequent guest program, Starwood Preferred Guest, will receive up to 5,000 Starpoints for the purchase of Iridium products and services. "It's exciting to be associated with a new global product like Iridium," said Juergen Bartels, Starwood's CEO Hotel Group. "As Starwood continues to expand around the world, our goal is to provide global travelers with all the products and services they need to make their trips successful. Agreements such as this one with Iridium ensure that we will provide our customers with exceptional business services." Iridium LLC became the world's first global satellite phone and paging company on November 1, 1998. The network of 66-low earth orbiting satellites, combined with terrestrial cellular systems, enables subscribers to communicate virtually anywhere in the world using one phone and pager, one phone number, and receiving one monthly bill. Customers access participating local cellular networks when available, and the Iridium satellite network when outside terrestrial cellular coverage. Iridium World Communications, Ltd. (NASDAQ: IRID) is the public investment vehicle of Iridium LLC. Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc (NYSE : HOT), through its Sheraton, Westin, St Regis/Luxury Collection, Four Points, W and Caesars subsidiaries, has approximately 690 hotels in 71 countries with some 230,000 rooms and 125,000 employees, and is one of the largest hotel and gaming companies in the world. (c) Iridium is a registered trademark and service mark of Iridium LLC 1999 CONTACT: Michelle Lyle Director, Media Relations 202/408-3818 or Iridium News Bureau 202/712-7741

To: djane who wrote (3489)	3/18/1999 2:51:00 PM
From: djane	Respond to of 29987

AT&T scrambles to fix wireless services news.com By Reuters Special to CNET News.com March 18, 1999, 9:50 a.m. PT NEW YORK--AT&T said today it is working to fix service problems and capacity constraints in its wireless phone business. The popularity of the company's Digital One Rate pricing plan and a surge in subscribers has put the company's wireless phone network under strain, Mike Keith, head of AT&T's $26 billion business services unit, said at the Merrill Lynch Telecommunications CEO Conference in New York. "Wireless revenues are running above expectations," Keith said. The company is working quickly to add more network capacity in markets such as New York City, suburban Chicago and Washington. "Capacity is constrained...we're working on this aggressively," Keith said. The company is adding extra wireless network equipment from Lucent Technologies to fill out its network in these overburdened markets. Keith said fixing the capacity problems is a priority for the company. "The teams have to sit down next week with Mike Armstrong [AT&T's chairman] to explain how we're fixing this problem," he said. Separately, Keith said AT&T does not expect to buy any additional local phone assets. AT&T last year acquired Teleport Communications Group, which provides local phone services to businesses, for about $12 billion. Using the Teleport assets, AT&T will be able to expand on its own into new local phone markets. Keith said it would be less expensive for AT&T to build its own networks rather than buying competitive local exchange carriers, or CLECs. "I think given the prices of CLECs and our ability to increase scale, it is easier for us to build ourselves," Keith said. Story Copyright © 1999 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. Copyright © 1995-99 CNET, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy policy.

To: djane who wrote (3489)	3/18/1999 2:54:00 PM
From: djane	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 29987

IRIDIUM CEO BOASTS OF SUCCESSES BUT STAYS QUIET ABOUT PROBLEMS (via I* thread) (Satellite News; 03/15/99) Mar. 15, 1999 (SATELLITE NEWS, Vol. 22, No. 11 via COMTEX) -- Iridium LLC [IRID] CEO Ed Staiano tried to put a positive spin on the company's slower-than- expected pace in gaining subscribers by boasting about the 66-satellite system's improved performance during a news briefing last week. The ground rules established by Staiano for the briefing only allowed questions about Iridium's attempts to sell its global mobile services to "vertical markets," avoiding talk of problems that have hurt the pioneering global, mobile satellite voice services provider. The vertical markets that are expected to become the best niches are those with the heaviest mobile communications users, such as government, the oil and gas industry and utilities companies, said Staiano, who also likes the potential of the aircraft market. To boost Iridium's sagging reputation, Staiano said the system now offers 99.9 percent satellite and Earth station availability, 96 percent connection of all calls attempted and a 4 percent dropped-call rate. Those performance figures mark an improvement from last November when Iridium began commercial service without resolving all of its various technical challenges. Those early performance problems with the Iridium system, slower than expected sales and the need to renegotiate terms of a bank loan recently have driven down the company's stock price. However, Staiano said that "technically" the constellation no longer had "any problems of substance." The delay in the availability of Kyocera Corp. [KYO] handsets also could be resolved by this week [Note: 11/1/98 to mid-3/99 delay], Staiano said, as lingering software problems with the devices are corrected. Motorola Inc. [MOT], the other handset supplier and Iridium's main contractor and financial backer, already is shipping phones. Robert Kaimowitz, a satellite analyst with ING Baring Furman Selz, issued a report on Iridium last week suggesting prices, not a lack of handsets, were slowing sales. Iridium's retail price per minute of satellite use is between $6-7 for handsets priced at $3,000 to $4,500 each. In contrast, the Inmarsat Planet-One/Mini-M service costs $2-3 a minute for similarly priced terminals. -0- Copyright Phillips Publishing, Inc. This article was sent to you by an Inquisit subscriber who thinks you may be interested in subscribing to our service. To find out more about Inquisit, or to sign up for a free trial subscription, visit us at inquisit.com. Delivered via the Inquisit(TM) business intelligence service. All articles Copyright 1998 by their respective source(s); all rights reserved.

To: djane who wrote (3489)	3/18/1999 6:56:00 PM
From: Maurice Winn	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 29987

Pricing I can't help myself. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Finally, Eisenhart says, if you're ever worried about the cost of any call, check it out in advance. "There's a rate, and it's been set beforehand. Just call up the carrier and ask for a rate quote." So the next time an Iridium-using buddy asks, "Hey, can you call me back?" tell him he'll have to wait a sec. -------------------------------------------------------------------- One of these centuries, phone companies are going to figure out that people don't think of their role in life being to make phone companies rich. They want to know how much money things cost them if it is more than an insignificant amount. Phone calls are not yet down to insignificant amounts. So, yes, here it is again, for the umpteenth time, which I'll continue as long as people who are paid a lot of money go on saying absurd things like the above. If the phone company saved the person the trouble of phoning around for quotes before making a call, they would be a lot more likely to hit the SEND button. The phone company can do this by getting their stupid computers to tell the handset how much the call will cost BEFORE the person connects the call. Everyone knows that rates are absurdly complex and they can be really expensive. But have 'rate cards' in phone books or hanging from the ceiling is hopelessly inefficient. There are electronic devices these days and passable programmes can be written using people who have studied such things for 40 years which would check the links and get the prices and feed the total back to the handset in less than 23.14 minutes. The person thinking of making the call could then press SEND if they check the display which will be reading "CURRENT PRICE IS $3.14" and they are happy with the price. This would also solve the capacity problems which AT&T has and Leap Wireless International will get with their Cricket Plan fixed flat rate per month for local calls. They could have their regular price plans and overlay those for subscribers who want a cheaper deal overall with a "Spot Pricing Plan". The peak prices would be high and off-peak probably free with the long distance links charged at whatever are the current prices. Then there would never be a busy signal. Busy signals are bad! The system would always be busy but not overloaded. Revenues would be maximized and customers would be happiest. Cricket is fine for now, but they'll have to figure out what to do when capacity is reached at peak times. More sectors, basestations etc is the expensive and uncompetitive way to do it. Maurice