If Comsat Corp has launched its Planet 1 service on the International Maritime Satellite Organization’s Inmarsat-3 satellites (CI No 3,075), can British Telecommunications Plc be far behind? The company, which is the Inmarsat member in the UK, says one more earthstation needs to be brought into service, in New Zealand, that will happen at the beginning of next month, and British Telecom will launch its service immediately after. In the meantime, Comsat tomorrow launches the 5 lb Mobiq satellite telephone it developed with Telenor A/S of Norway for use with the Inmarsat system (CI No 3,006), which it claims is the smallet yet.
