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Communication Satellite To Benefit Northeast Kingdom |
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Tuesday, 14 July 2009 |
By CHRISTOPHER ROY
Express Staff Writer
Dropped cellular telephone calls may soon become a thing of the past, thanks to a new satellite that was launched from French Guiana in South America earlier this month. One of the test areas for the new system, when it comes online later this year, will be the Northeast Kingdom.
Kelly Adams, director of marketing and communications for TerreStar,
said the satellite that was launched July 1, will provide voice, data,
and video services in the United States and Canada.
In the past, mobile satellite phones have been large handsets with huge
antennas. However, that will not be the case with the new smart phones,
that will be similar to a Blackberry, said Adams. That phone or a
special chipset in some other phones will be needed to use the Terre
Star system.
“I think it’s evolution in the industry,” she said of the phone that
has all internal antennas. “It brings that satellite phone to a phone
someone can use daily.”
The phones will use the satellite when traditional service from
cellular towers is not available. The phones and services are going to
be available through wholesale service providers, said Adams.
The primary customer, she said, is the government, public safety, first
responders, people who live in rural areas, and people who go places
where there is usually no cellular phone coverage.
“This is the world’s largest commercial satellite,” said Adams. The
cost of the satellite is $300 million, not counting other expenses,
like the launch. She would not say when the satellite will be in orbit.
“That’s not public information right now.”
Adams does not think this is the end for large cellular towers.
“This is a complementary service to cellular service,” she said. “It’s
a natural evolution to have devices that can use both a ground network
as well as a satellite network when that ground infrastructure is not
available.”
Line of sight is still necessary to link up to the satellite; however, Adams does not thinkleaves on trees will be a large issue unless the user is in a dense forest.
This is the largest commercial satellite ever launched, said Sen. Vincent Illuzzi who added that the Northeast Kingdom, northwestern New Hampshire, and southern Quebec are going to be one of the first test areas. This is because Vermont lawmakers gave them creditability by getting the state government behind them.
“It provides another mode of communication where there is now little or none,” he said.
Lt. Gov. Brian Dubie, who oversaw the project, was the only United States elected official invited to watch the launch. He said he wanted to demonstrate how much Vermont wanted to be involved in the innovative technology. This is because interoperability, especially between emergency responders, is needed. During a telephone interview Monday, Dubie recalled that law enforcement agencies from Vermont and New Hampshire, had to park their cars side-by-side so they could communicate during a two-state shooting spree in 1997.
The system is part of Gov. James Douglas’ vision of making Vermont an ‘E-state,’ said Dubie. He said it is his passion to give first responders the tools to effectively communicate with each other. Some of the first responders in the world to use this system will be from the Northeast Kingdom.
The state has not contributed any money for the project, he said.
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 15 July 2009 )
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