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To: djane who wrote (4625)5/15/1999 2:48:00 AM
From: djane  Read Replies (2) | Respond to of 29987
 
Summary of I* system design problems (via I* yahoo thread)

Top>Business and Finance>Stocks>Services>Communications Services>IRID (Iridium
World Comm. Ltd.)



Avoci, problem is I* system design!
by: Nomadic_Trader (32/USA)
13196 of 13198
Avoci,

You're comments about this "technology is the future" shows that you never even bothered to read single
aerospace periodical. Just because Motorola spent your money to throw up the first low earth portable
phone constellation that does not mean that this company will be competitive with the upcoming
constellations nor does it mean that phone system's quality and price will be acceptable by the consumers.
As for Teledesic, you can be sure that Teledesic will learn from Iridium on what not to do. You will find that
Teledesic will have a higher orbit -- which many in the aerospace industry consider to be the fatal flaw in the
Iridium system design. The extremely low orbit causes:

1) The satellites move across sky far too quickly which causes unnecessary hand-offs from one satellite to
another.
2) Low elevation angles (satellite to handset) causing blockages -- including the users head.
3) The handset are too large, which is a result of poor link -- caused by the low elevation angles and
blockages (i.e. Avoci's big head).
4) Little or no diversity since the other 65 satellites are almost always over the horizon.
5) Too many satellites which increases launch costs and reoccuring cost (operations costs).
6) Cross links -- a high rate of propellant usage to keep the constellation in the proper relative phase.
7) Traffic capacity is much lower than the upcoming competitors, whereas a higher orbit would allow
multiple satellites to be in view and carrying traffic.
8) Satellite life severely limited by both power (batteries) and propellant. Both power and propellant tradeoff
are much more forgiving in the higher orbits. High orbits means less eclipses and less earth triaxiality effects.
Limited life means spending your $$$$$ to manufacture and lauch replacement satellites.

Additionally: There is an extremely high satellite failure. Yes, I admit that every company that makes satellite
has failures, but it is extremely uncommon to have failure rate percentage in the double digits. Motorola has
learned a very expensive lesson that satellite quality is paramount and it should have had an experienced
satellite builder design and build their satellites.

Avoci, sorry pal but in the end you will learn that Teledesic will be redesigning their system away from the
Iridium "technology of the future".

Posted: 05/15/99, 1:39AM EDT as a reply to: Msg 13001 by avoci



To: djane who wrote (4625)5/16/1999 1:30:00 AM
From: djane  Respond to of 29987
 
Maurice post on I* (via QCOM thread)

Talk : Communications : Qualcomm - Coming Into Buy Range

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To: JGoren (30096 )
From: Maurice Winn
Saturday, May 15 1999 6:06PM ET
Reply # of 30122

*Iridium vs Globalstar* JGoren, you said: "...I have been posting for months (Lor and
G* threads) that the threat to G* is a restructuring-bankruptcy of I* by which its cost
structure is reduced and it can compete favorably with G*..."

True, Iridium will sell the minutes at a cheap rate after they give in and face the facts, as
Globalstar must too, that it is the customers who set the price. If Globalstar doesn't cut
the price, then 10 billion minutes will rot in space in the first year.

Iridium has about 1.5bn minutes per year to sell, so even if they give the minutes away
they won't have a significant impact on Globalstar. Iridium will NOT be producing any
more minutes after this constellation. Once the existing ones are sold, that's it forever for
them.

1.5bn minutes is a drop in the ocean. Globalstar will have 10 - 12 bn to sell [not that
they are planning to actually sell many of them]. ICO will have about 15 bn. There are
others too.

So Iridium is trivial in the big scheme of things. Maybe they'll slash their prices to 20c
next week to really get things moving which will at least give Globalstar some idea on
price-elasticity of demand before Globalstar mimics the Iridium 'high-priced rotten
tomato' model for selling Globalstar.

Iridium is no longer [and never really was] a competitive threat to Globalstar. They
might not even sell their existing 1.5bn minutes. Not many people will spend $3000 on a
handset to then be told the system is being closed down. The operating costs alone
might exceed the possible revenue, even if Motorola reduces their exorbitant charges, in
which case it will be shut down totally. Iridium is now a historical curiosity of the space,
telecommunications and Web age, suitable for Tom Brush to adopt as a business case
study.

Mqurice

[They've had their hayday]