Hughes Space and Communications International was selected by the International Mobile Satellite Organization’s Inmarsat-P affiliate to build 12 satellites. The deal is valued at $1.3 billion, announced London-based Inmarsat-P.
Hughes plans to become a strategic partner of the new affiliate company with “substantial investment share,” stated Inmarsat-P. Details of the agreement are to be completed in 90 days.
Inmarsat-P was created earlier this year with aims to develop and deliver a global handheld phone service by the end of the decade.
“When it begins operations in 1999, the new system will provide a unique, low-cost global satellite phone service-as well as data, fax and paging,” the company said, “using handheld pocket-sized terminals smaller and lighter than many of today’s cellular handsets.”
The satellites will operate in two intermediate circular orbital planes at 10,400 kilometers, or about 6,400 miles, above the earth. The satellites relay calls between the user and a satellite access node within the satellite’s view, Inmarsat-P said. The access nodes are interconnected using earth-based facilities to form a network and are linked through gateways, owned and operated by third parties, to the public switched network.
Inmarsat-P said the satellites are potentially compatible with the French Ariane, U.S. Atlas Century or Delta III, the Chinese Long March or Russian Proton or Zenith satellites.
Hughes has built more than 40 percent of the world’s satellites used for commercial communications, the companies noted.
Sprint offers prepaid billing
People on a fixed budget or with limited credit potential can subscribe to cellular service through Sprint Cellular Co.’s prepaid billing plan in its North Carolina and Southeast markets.
“As cellular quickly evolved into a mass consumer product, we realized there were still some people who felt cellular service was beyond their means, or perhaps of credit limitations,” explained Robert Curran, vice president of marketing for Sprint Cellular.
As a PrePay Plan customer makes and receives calls, a metered billing system rates each call and decreases the customer’s balance. Once customers approach their limit, the system informs them with a tone over the phone
Sprint customers are able to prepay for cellular phone use by cash, check or credit card. The company plans offering the service in all its markets by fall.
