[pct-l] More Info on Satelitte Phones

[brick@fastpack.com (Brick Robbins)]

Thanks for the sat-phone info:

 From what I've read, the future for these two systems look dim. What is 
your feeling that they will still be around this summer?

Iridium is bankrupt and has sold it assets to a successor company. Iridium 
and Motorola (major backer of Iridium) are being sued in at least 22 
different class action lawsuits. Many folks in the "back country" (Polar 
explorers, Trans Atlantic Rowers, etc) dependant on Iridium phones suddenly 
found themselves without communications last year.

Globalstar has defaulted on debt service payments to companies holding its 
notes. Its subscriber growth is much less than they had hoped for / forecast.
http://www.fool.com/news/2001/qcom010125.htm

-B