SATELLITE PHONE SERVICE GETS OFF THE GROUND
By Adnews Staff
Glentel Inc. of Burnaby B.C. launched its commercial satellite phone service this week. Currently the company bounces its signals off a U.S. satellite belonging to America Mobile Satellite Corp. In the spring it will also start using a Canadian satellite from TMI Communications of Ottawa. Glentel provides mobile and fixed telephone service in North America, as well as data and fax communications and dispatch radio service. The company's services are geared to businesses that work in remote areas and have a need for communications between field operations and head office. They are in industries such as mining, oil and gas, trucking and fishing. Trade advertising for the Glentel service began last fall and will be extended to financial magazines and newspapers this year. Glentel handles its advertising in-house. The new phone service will cost $2.50 a minute, and the phone and antennas will cost between $4,000 and $6,000. Glentel says existing satellite services cost around $7 per minute and require hardware ranging in price from $15,000 to $40,000. Glentel is a publicly traded company which is 58% owned by TCG International.