Eat your heart out, cellular phone users – NEC Corp has launched a car-mounted earthstation for sending an receiving messages via the commercial satellite to be launched next spring: the station, which needs to be mounted on a three-ton truck, consists of 1.8 metre parabola antenna: it incorporates 9800 series personal computers mounted on a rack for centralised monitoring and control, and NEC hopes to take 70% to 80% of market, which will expand following the launch of the satellite and the start of services by the group consisting of Japan Communications Satellite, backed by Mitsui & Co, and Space Communications, a Mitsubishi group member, next year.
