Lacking buyer, Iridium is set to shut down

Article Abstract:

Satellite communications company Iridium L.L.C. has requested permission from bankruptcy court to shut down its commercial service and destroy its artificial satellites. Once considered a major force in global cellular communications, Iridium has been unable to find additional financing after Motorola Inc. and other founding partners failed to provide further financial assistance. Iridium's dream was to provide mobile communications via a low-earth orbit system of 74 artificial satellites, but high costs, bulky equipment, unreliable service connections and too few subscribers forced the company into bankruptcy protection. With shares selling at just over 65 cents - down from a high of $70 a share - Iridium expects to spend $50 million to close down operations and program its satellites for destruction.

Other Electrical Equipment and Component Manufacturing, Electronics, Electronic Components and Accessories, Economic aspects, Cases, Finance, Electronics industry, Motorola Inc., MOT, Iridium L.L.C.

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Can Craig McCaw keep his satellites from crashing?

Article Abstract:

Craig O. McCaw's Teledesic has ambitious plans to offer high-speed voice, data, and video services to areas not served by today's ground-based and wireless networks. Teledesic faces many obstacles, including fragmented demand for satellite systems, questions of technical feasibility, the need for foreign phone firms to sell its services, and two groups of unlikely customers who will be out of reach of Teledesic's competition. McCaw's latest plan will merge Teledesic with recently acquired ICO Global.

United Kingdom, Radiotelephone communications, Cellular and Other Wireless Telecommunications, Radio & TV communications equipment, Mobile Radio Services, Radio and Television Broadcasting and Wireless Communications Equipment Manufacturing, Satellite Communications Eqp, Management, Mergers, acquisitions and divestments, Telecommunications services industry, Telecommunications industry, Telecommunications equipment industry, Wireless communications services, Biography, ICO Global Communications, Satellite communications systems, Teledesic L.L.C., McCaw, Craig O.

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Satellite venture seeks right to offer land-based service

Article Abstract:

New ICO Global Communications is seeking permission from the FCC to develop a land-based cellular telecommunications service that would use the portion of the radio-frequency spectrum now reserved for satellite communications. The plan would also apply to seven other firms seeking to use the two-gigahertz portion of the spectrum. The firm says that this change is necessary for the development of high-speed Internet access and broadband communications services for areas out of reach of cable and other land-based networks.

Innovations, Laws, regulations and rules, Radio broadcasting, Cellular telephone services industry, Frequency allocation (Telecommunications), Cellular telephone services, United States. Federal Communications Commission, Licensing agreements, Radio frequency allocation, New ICO Global Communications Ltd.

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