Satellite personal communications were expected to form a very successful market, reaching many millions of customers. The market functioned, it has been, however, a big business failure. The book examines the rise and fall of the Satellite Personal Communication Systems (SPCS) from an interdisciplinary approach. It describes the technology of a market formed on the basis of heavy investment, which traded international personal communication capacity through the use of mobile satellite networks. Moreover, it analyses the main actors and their business strategies that have lead pioneers to failure. In addition, it focuses on the regulatory efforts, which proved unsuccessful in saving the market from collapsing. The analysis, based on the interaction of various parameters (technology, law, actors and market) forms an interesting level-playing field.

Mobile satellite services are set to change with the imminent launch of satellite personal communication services (S-PCS), through the use of non-geostationary satellites. This new generation of satellites will be placed in low earth orbit or medium earth orbit, hence, introducing new satellite design concepts. One of the first texts to cover this rapidly evolving field, this text provides the reader with an overview of mobile satellite systems, from their initial introduction (Inmarsat), current satellite-PCS (referring to such systems as Globalstar), through to Satellite-UMTS and an understanding of the following: * The design concepts associated with non-geostationary satellite systems (constellation, link budgets, Doppler) * The concepts of UMTS (network architecture, aims, in the context of IMT-2000) and the role foreseen for the satellite component (complementary to terrestrial network, network extension, global availability) * Inter-working between satellite and terrestrial networks (network architecture, ATM Adaptation Layer) * Radio interface technologies (WB-CDMA, TDMA, transmission environment) * Regulatory issues * Future services and applications * Potential satellite markets (prediction techniques, effect of tariffing policies on potential market) With leading edge information, this valuable resource will be indispensable to researchers, engineers, operators and market evaluators in satellite service industries and research institutions, as well as postgraduates and research students in the field.

A practical, internationally-ranging text which considers questions such as what are the procedures for applying for a licence? Where are licences for Western and Eastern Europe available? What are the regulations concerning the content of transmissions? And what are the copyright issues involved?