The world's largest telecom satellite will help fill in cell phone dead zones
An Ariane 5 rocket carried the world's largest commercial telecommunications satellite into orbit from the European Space Agency (ESA)'s French Guinea launch center.
The TerreStar Networks' TerreStar-1 satellite, which weighs 6.9 tons and has a 60-ft. antenna, will be used to offer high-speed internet and wireless voice services. The satellite will float in orbit 22,000 miles above the Earth's surface and cost $300 million to build and launch.
TerreStar hopes emergency responders, the U.S. military, and rural customers with currently spotty service will have more reliable telecom services. Satellite internet service is too slow and unreliable to receive large amounts of government funding, but the TerreStar satellite will help change that -- satellite coverage will be able to cover a larger area and will fix any cell phone "dead zones" that are still found across the United States.
Customers will be able to use a small device about the same size as a Research In Motion (RIM) BlackBerry Curve that is a full-mode terrestrial/satellite handset. The device operates on the AT&T terrestrial network while in range, and switches to satellite when service begins to drop off.
When trying to connect to the satellite, the handset must have a clear line of sight with the southern sky. It should be interesting to see what kind of handsets will be used, as current satellite phones are bulky and thick, but the satellite will help shrink the size and design of future satellite phones.
In the future, SkyTerra is expected to launch two larger satellites, but didn't say when they'll be launched. Ariane rockets will carry satellites and other payloads into orbit four more times into 2009, and has already had three successful launches so far.
DailyTech - World's Largest Commercial Telecom Satellite Launches Into Orbit
