The first winner in the Gulf War was indubitably Cable News Network, but others are now emerging, notably Gaithersburg, Maryland-based Mobile Telesystems Inc, 23%-owned by Communications Satellite Corp: Mobile Telesystems was able to make its single suitcase satellite telephone, which has a one yard dish that opens like an umbrella, at a rate of 15 a month; according to the Wall Street Journal the company, which did $15m last year, sold its whole first quarter output out in January and customers are offering a premium on the $52,000 price; to use the 65 lbs device, you point the antenna at the satellite, dial a special code, and the signal is releayed to a ground station and into the terrestrial phone network; connection takes about 45 seconds and calls cost $7 to $10 a minute; if you can’t get one from Mobile Telesystems, other companies that make portable satellite phones are GEC Plc’s Marconi International Marine Co; E B Nera AS of Norway; Japan Radio Co and the Nav-Com Inc arm of North American Philips Corp.
