Foreign satellite consortium, Inmarsat, rivals Motorola communication service

Article Abstract:

Olof Lundberg, director general of the International Maritime Satellite Organization (Inmarsat), believes there is a way to accomplish a worldwide communication system, which would use satellites and pocket-sized mobile telephones. It could be less financially and technologically risky than the 'Iridium project' already outlined by Motorola Inc. The Iridium plan calls for 77 low-orbit satellites to be in place by the mid 1990s. Inmarsat's plan, which is called Project 21, would use some existing satellites and would reuse capabilities in existing telephone systems. According to Lundberg, Project 21 would cost between $500 million and $1 billion, which compares with an estimate of $2.1 billion for Motorola's plan. Inmarsat's system would be ready by the end of the 1990s. Satellite telephones would cost about $1,000. Phone calls would cost $1 a minute, or less.

COMMUNICATION, Radio & TV communications equipment, Planning, Wireless LANs, Satellite communications, Motorola Inc., MOT, Satellites (Astronomical bodies), Personal communications services, Telecommunications, Mobile Phones, Satellites, Wireless Network, International Maritime Satellite Organization, Lundberg, Olof, International Mobile Satellite Organization

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The party line; when you speak on a cellular phone, the world may be listening

Article Abstract:

Cellular telephones are highly vulnerable to eavesdropping and that vulnerability increases despite the effort of manufacturers to create devices to insure privacy. It is against the law for people to monitor a corded telephone call that they are not participating in but the US Congress made an exception for cordless telephones. The US Supreme Court rules against protection of privacy for cordless telephones and the US Internal Revenue Service (IRS) encourages its agents to listen in on conversations. Cordless telephones broadcast conversations, so that it is impossible to determine whether or not someone is listening in.

Radiotelephone communications, Usage, Services, Telecommunications services industry, Telecommunications industry, Cellular telephones, Wireless telephones, Privacy, Voice Communications, Cellular Radio

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