DENVER, United States-If all goes as planned, the world could have as many as 10 mobile satellite communications (MSS) systems operating in the next five years. By 2002, the MSS industry could be an US$8.5 billion market.
The various service providers will comprise four different types of satellite systems-geostationary, medium- or low-earth orbiting and little LEOs.
Geostationary satellite networks (GEOs) are those that rely on one or more satellites placed in a fixed orbit at 22,500 miles above a particular land mass. Because of their height, such systems require powerful and expensive handsets to reach the satellites.
Medium-earth-orbiting satellite systems (MEOs) and the more popular low-earth-orbiting satellite systems (LEOs) include smaller satellites in continuous motion at anywhere between 800 kilometers to 2,000 kilometers above the earth. Because these systems are closer to the ground, they can communicate with less-powerful handsets-although more satellites are required to achieve the same coverage of a GEO system. MEOs sit higher in the atmosphere and require only 12 to 14 satellites to provide global coverage, whereas LEOs need at least 52 satellites.
Little LEOs are the same as other LEO systems except they operate below the 1 GHz range. Little LEOs can offer only data and messaging solutions, not voice telephony.
GEOs
The MSS providers operating geostationary systems today include American Mobile Satellite Corp. (AMSC), TMI Communications and Co. L.P., and International Mobile Satellite Organization (Inmarsat).
Perhaps the most well-known satellite provider, and certainly the oldest, is London-based Inmarsat. Its nine geostationary satellites have made possible voice and data services since 1982. Inmarsat was formed in 1979 as an intergovernmental organization of 79 countries to offer maritime satellite communications. Since then, the technology has been adapted to meet other needs, including the first global mobile phones for business users.
Plans are progressing for Inmarsat’s privatization to allow a more normal commercial structure in an increasingly competitive marketplace.
AMSC, based in the United States, and TMI of Canada once had separate satellites, but now share the same system because the U.S. government ruled foreign satellite operators could provide services in the United States.
AMSC has leased its SkyCell satellite to Actel-an African telecommunications company-and bought half of TMI’s MSAT satellite. AMSC and TMI-in operation since 1995 and 1996, respectively-both offer telephone, digital voice dispatch, data communications, mobile messaging and position-reporting services.
MEOs and LEOs
The MEO and LEO providers expecting to launch service between now and 2002 include Globalstar L.P., ICO Global Communications and Iridium L.L.C.
Iridium, a U.S.-based consortium led by Motorola Inc., is expected to be the first LEO operator to launch service and the first to offer a personal communications project that spans the globe. It plans to offer handheld phone, paging, fax and data services with 100-percent global coverage by 24 September.
Iridium has placed 63 of its planned 66-satellite constellation into orbit already through an aggressive schedule of 13 launches in 11 months. The consortium recently signed the U.S. Department of Defense as its first customer.
Iridium continues to sign local phone service providers as distribution partners. These partners link their networks to one of the 11 Iridium earth gateways. The gateways access the satellite network to enable global roaming to phone networks in other areas.
A potential competitor to Iridium is Globalstar. Also based in the United States, Globalstar is expected to have its LEO constellation of 48 satellites operational in 1999. Providing voice, data, fax, paging and messaging services, the operator hopes to attract remote-area telephony, international roamers, private and specialized network operators, cellular service providers, long-haul commercial and maritime commercial customers.
ICO Global Communications in London-a spinoff of Inmarsat-is launching a series of 10 MEO satellites to offer voice, data, fax, paging and messaging services by 2000. The company received a boost when TRW Inc. pulled its interests in the now-defunct Odyssey satellite venture to invest in ICO.
Little LEOs
Little LEO operators recently won a significant victory at the Federal Communications Commission when the U.S. regulatory agency granted several second-round applicants licenses, clearing the way for them to move forward.
Two little LEO companies, Orbital Communications Corp. and Volunteers in Technical Assistance (VITA), already were licensed in the first little LEO round but won modifications to those licenses. The others, including LEO One USA Corp., received second-round approval.
Orbital Communications, or Orbcomm, increased the number of satellites in its constellation from 36 to 48. The company plans to offer two-way messaging and data communications, including emergency alert and vehicle tracking.
VITA is a nonprofit, humanitarian-aid organization with two satellites used to provide educational, health, environmental, disaster relief and data technical communications services in developing countries. It hopes to launch services in the fourth quarter.
LEO One hopes to finish its 48-satellite constellation in time to offer data services by 2001.
