Vol. 476 No. 3
23 Mr. Deasy asked the Minister for Transport, Energy and Communications whether it is possible to use satellites rather than a proliferation of antennae, for the transmitting and relaying of mobile phone messages; the cost factors involved; and his views on the matter. [6892/97]
The satellite-based mobile telephony technology currently available is that of the type operated by international satellite organisations such as Inmarsat.
The phone-sets used for this are bulky — around the size of a large briefcase — and the cost of the service is prohibitive for the ordinary consumer. I understand that the cheapest phoneset retails at around £3,000, as against less than £50 for some GSM mobile phones.
