World Surveillance Group Inc (fka WSGI)

[imawswami]

GTE featured in article for WIMAX Trends periodical

..oh, and Rubert Murdoch is mentioned in the piece.


http://www.wimaxtrends.com/articles/archives/a090505b.htm


Archived Feature Article
Satellite TV operators eye WiMAX


Caroline Gabriel
Research Director
Rethink Research Associates
Editor of WiMAX Watch



September 5, 2005 - Satellite operators continue to take a strong interest in WiMAX as a way to enhance their triple play plans with two-way communications. According to Reuters, Alvarion is negotiating with US satellite television giant DirecTV Group to supply WiMAX equipment, and the UK’s SkyTV, another Rupert Murdoch company, is also investigating the technology as it comes under increasing competitive pressure from DSL and cable-based offerings.

"Wireless communications infrastructure will speed up the use of DirecTV's networks," said Alvarion Zvi Slonimsky at a recent conference. "The group is now testing WiMAX infrastructures in order to provide its satellite television network sububscribers with high speed communications on the return channel."

Meanwhile, Sanswire is the best known pioneer of ‘stratellites’ - huge balloons or airships as a low cost alternative to satellite for delivering rural services. It is looking to use WiMAX for the last mile in a planned network to span the US and parts of Canada and Mexico.

The Globetel subsidiary says its balloons fly at about 65,000 feet above earth and act as giant microwave repeaters. One stratellite can cover an area the size of Texas and can use solar powered engines to maintain its position.

Sanswire/GlobeTel says it has a $50m deal with the government of Columbia to put five of the airships over the Latin American nation.

Sanswire has also sold rights to its stratellite system to a group of Australians led by Bob Johnson, former CEO of Telstra subsidiary Sensis. One stratellite covers a radius of 200 kilometers and is said to be far cheaper than towers. The company will float stratellites in many areas of Australia and New Zealand to deliver mobile, high definition television, fixed wireless and paging services.

About the Author:

Caroline Gabriel is Research Director of Rethink Research Associates and Editor of WiMAX Watch, a newsletter providing in-depth analysis of the WiMAX market. She is a featured columnist for Trendsmedia's WiMAX Trends, and is a leading industry analyst on wireless and wireless broadband technologies. She recently authored WiMAX Business Models 2004-2007: How to Make Money in WiMAX, published in the US/Canada by Trendsmedia. For further information, email [e-mail]