As recent stories in RF Report have illustrated, next generation handheld communications device will not only talk to terrestrial networks, but to satellites as well. Earlier this week Mobile Satellite Ventures LP and joint venture partner Mobile Satellite Ventures (Canada) announced they had contracted with ILS International Launch Services to launch one of two high-powered “next generation” satellites in 2009. The satellites are designed to provide “seamless, transparent and ubiquitous broadband wireless coverage of North and Central America to consumer electronic devices.”
The satellites, which are being constructed by Boeing, will be located at 101 degrees and 107.3 degrees west longitude, The coverage map shows a footprint over all 50 American states, Canada, Central America and the northern part of South America. ILS plans to launch the MSV spacecraft on a Proton/Breeze M vehicle from the Balkonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.
Alexander H. Good, MSV Vice Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President, commented, “This launch will usher in a new era in integrated satellite-terrestrial communications where consumers throughout North America can enjoy broadband services at lower costs per bit with the flexibility to support a range of custom IP applications. We have teamed with a world-class provider who combined a fair price and program flexibility, allowing us to deliver ahead of our regulatory milestones.”
