[109773] in Cypherpunks
Re: LEO Satellites
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Steve Schear)
Sat Apr 3 23:12:36 1999
Date: Sat, 03 Apr 1999 19:05:39 -0800
To: Ryan Lackey <ryan@venona.com>, cypherpunks@algebra.com
From: Steve Schear <schear@lvcm.com>
Cc: shamrock@netcom.com
In-Reply-To: <19990403134758.I27979@arianrhod.systemics.ai>
Reply-To: Steve Schear <schear@lvcm.com>
>I also find several of them scary as they require tracking user-stations
>on the ground for incoming transmissions. I'd prefer something like
>a global pager, which broadcasts on all transmitters brief encrypted
>pages, but that would get *expensive*. Being able to localize someone
>to an Iridium cell or subcell would be...useful to the wrong people.
Another scary aspect is the coercion of dual (cellular + satellite) units
to operate via cellular connections based on territorial agreement vs.
actual cellular coverage.
In 1995, I spoke with the then Motorola Iridium project manger and
questioned whether they be might be creating potential safety situations
for users. Some of the Iridium innovators/early adopters are likely to be
sailors. Many recreational sailors have already gotten used to using
cellular vs. VHF for ship-to-shore. Its not too difficult to imagine that
Iridium and its ken will soon replace much of marine HF communications. If
sailors are lulled into thinking that Iridium provides 24/7 global coverage
they could be in for a rude, and perhaps life threatening surprise, when
they find that their dual use phones can't operate with the local cellular
system (no coverage) but \won't satellite with the satellite
(territorially-based contract restrictions).
I tried to raise these issues with the FCC (public safety is usually a hot
button) to no avail.
--Steve
