The ten commandments of mobile satcoms Bhawani Shankar [electronic resource] /

English

1996

After more than 6 years in development and several billion dollars of investment, potential mobile satellite communications operators have been unable to overcome regulatory restrictions that limit the use of telephone terminals in many countries where they have been marketed. Several operators last month sponsored an ITU-run conference in Geneva, bringing together the telecommunications administrations of about 100 countries. The World Technology Policy Forum was the first conference of its kind. It drove home the fact that the planning and construction of imposing global satellite networks capable of providing ubiquitous mobile voice and data services is the easy part. Getting governments to allow customers to use the so-called global mobile personal communications services - and pay for it - is harder. Governments are sensitive to the fact that calls originating and terminating within satellite systems will bypass local wireline networks and, much like call-back, rob them of vital revenue. Current satellite telephony tariffs are substantially higher than cellular charges.

Access restricted to onsite users [ITU]

Telecommunications. (International ed.) Vol. 30, no. 11(1996) : p. 29 -30