Comments on: Is there a future for TerreStar’s Genus phone?

By: It’s Not Looking Good for LightSquared’s Planned LTE Network : Broadband News and Analysis «

Thu, 13 Jan 2011 17:30:57 +0000

[...] experienced some setbacks with its satellite launch, with plans to find carrier partners and with a poorly-reviewed dual-mode satellite and terrestrial handset. The dual-mode nature of the network is due to the spectrum that LightSquared both owns and leases [...]

By: Globasltar MSS Coverage Requirements – Does Globalstar have it wrong?

Globasltar MSS Coverage Requirements – Does Globalstar have it wrong? — Sat, 18 Sep 2010 19:48:10 +0000

[...] Perhaps Globalstar should offer it’s current MSS duplex customers an external antenna and amplifier assembly to “boost reception” of Globalstar’s current on-orbit satellites. Perhaps even equipped with a directional antenna that will be required to be pointed in the general direction of the Globalstar satellites as they pass. After all, it has been reported that the Terrestar yet to be released Genus MSS user terminal will require user… [...]

By: flatcat

flatcat — Fri, 28 May 2010 17:02:23 +0000

There may or may not be success in selling the Genus phone, but it has nothing to do with the way the phone must be oriented during use. The Genus phone allows both bluetooth and wired headsets. This makes it easy to hold the phone in the proper orientation while talking and using the smartphone features.

TMF comment: Its worth noting that the same argument was made for Inmarsat’s original ISatPhone (where the manual explicitly advised using the hands-free mode and pointing the phone antenna at the satellite). In reality that phone completely failed to gain any traction against competitors like Iridium which allowed “walk and talk”, and Inmarsat has now made a big deal of saying its new ISatPhone Pro will allow “walk and talk”. Unless the Genus phone is mainly used in smartphone mode for data/SMS the same outcome may occur.

By: PCSTEL

PCSTEL — Tue, 18 May 2010 03:50:17 +0000

Interesting move by Harbinger with the prepaid satellite airtime. Up until now. They (Terrestar) could return the spectrum to participate in an incentive auction, or any company could purchase the company in/or out of bankruptcy, and divorce the spectrum from the Satellite, with the FCC’s nod of course. With one possibility of sending the satellite over to Solaris in Europe, who just so happens are in need of a fully functional GBBF 2Ghz MSS satellite.

However, with the 40 million in prepaid airtime, it appears that this transaction may in effect bind the satellite and the spectrum together. Making it less palatable to a competing bidder whom may have also had an eye on divorcing the spectrum from the satellite. In other words. It may be worth more broken up, than in one piece. In this case… The only company that could divorce the spectrum from the Satellite would be Harbinger.

Anyone else going to the Globalstar Annual Meeting next week in Milpitas?

PCSTEL