DENVER, United States-U.S.-based Teledesic L.L.C. and Motorola Inc. announced in June they will become partners in the development and deployment of Teledesic’s global broadband “Internet-in-the-Sky” satellite communications system. The Boeing Co., a leading aerospace company, and satellite manufacturer Matra Marconi Space, also will be founding industrial partners, said Teledesic.
Motorola will be the prime contractor for the team, which will combine the technical efforts currently underway on the system pioneered by Teledesic with Motorola’s Celestri broadband satellite system.
Motorola is scheduled to receive a 26-percent stake in Teledesic for a combination of cash and the value of design and development work that will be redirected from Celestri to the new joint effort, said the companies. Motorola’s total investment in Teledesic is valued at US$750 million, they said.
Founded in 1990, Teledesic is building a global, broadband “Internet-in-the-Sky” using a constellation of 288 low-Earth-orbit satellites. The service will provide fixed access to telecommunications services such as broadband Internet access, videoconferencing, voice and other digital data.
Teledesic last year received a Federal Communications Commission license to provide the service. The company cleared its last significant regulatory hurdle when the International Telecommunication Union finalized its designation of international radio spectrum for use by non-geostationary fixed satellite services, such as those Teledesic will provide, said the company.
