TerreStar Corporation (TSTR), formerly Motient Corp. (MNCP - 2000–2007) and ''American Mobile Satellite Corp.'' (AMSC - 1988–2000), was the controlling shareholder of ''
TerreStar Networks Inc.'', ''TerreStar National Services, Inc.'' and ''TerreStar Global Ltd.'', and a shareholder of
SkyTerra SkyTerra (SKYT), formerly Mobile Satellite Ventures (MSV or MSVLP), was a Reston, Virginia company that developed telecommunications systems that integrate satellite and terrestrial radio communication technologies into one system. In March 2010, ...
Communications.
''TerreStar Networks'' was a
Reston, Virginia
Reston is a census-designated place in Fairfax County, Virginia and a principal city of the Washington metropolitan area. As of the 2020 U.S. Census, Reston's population was 63,226.
Founded in 1964, Reston was influenced by the Garden City movem ...
-based company that operated integrated
satellite and terrestrial
telecommunications systems. The company declared bankruptcy in 2010 and is now owned by
Dish Network
DISH Network Corporation (DISH, an acronym for DIgital Sky Highway) is an American television provider and the owner of the direct-broadcast satellite provider Dish, commonly known as Dish Network, and the over-the-top IPTV service, Sling TV. A ...
.
XM Satellite Radio was a spin-off of American Mobile Satellite Corp.
TerreStar-1
Arianespace launched
TerreStar-1 on the morning of July 1, 2009. With a launch mass of 6,910 kg, it has been deemed "the largest commercial
telecommunications satellite ever launched." It was built by
Space Systems/Loral and was launched from the
Guiana Space Center with an
Ariane 5
Ariane 5 is a European heavy-lift space launch vehicle developed and operated by Arianespace for the European Space Agency (ESA). It is launched from the Centre Spatial Guyanais (CSG) in French Guiana. It has been used to deliver payloads int ...
rocket in
French Guiana. TerreStar-1 with the plan of providing mobile voice, messaging and data communications services to North America.
Terrestar system is based on
GMR standard.
Terrestrial network
On January 14, 2010, TerreStar announced that the
Federal Communications Commission had approved the company's deployment of a terrestrial wireless network using the same S-band frequencies used by TerreStar-1.
Bankruptcy Restructuring with EchoStar
In October 2010, TerreStar filed for a "prepackaged" bankruptcy, led by its largest secured creditor, EchoStar. Together the secured creditors exchanged $940 million of debt for about 97 percent of the company. The plan, along with $75 million of
debtor-in-possession financing, was approved in November 2010.
In December 2010, an NPO called "
A Human Right" mounted an effort to buy the satellite for use over Africa, with basic free internet service for those who don't have it, and internet access for nations that have cut off international internet connections.
After successfully bidding $1.375 billion for the acquisition of the
TerreStar-1 satellite in a bankruptcy-court auction,
Dish Network
DISH Network Corporation (DISH, an acronym for DIgital Sky Highway) is an American television provider and the owner of the direct-broadcast satellite provider Dish, commonly known as Dish Network, and the over-the-top IPTV service, Sling TV. A ...
on August 22, 2011, asked the
Federal Communications Commission to let the company utilize the wireless spectrum of TerreStar to offer its own
wireless broadband service.
See also
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Mobile-satellite service
*
Satellite phone
A satellite telephone, satellite phone or satphone is a type of mobile phone that connects to other phones or the telephone network by radio through orbiting satellites instead of terrestrial cell sites, as cellphones do. The advantage of a sa ...
*
TerreStar Networks
*
Gonets
*
ICO Global Communications
*
O3b Networks
*
EchoStar Mobile
*
SkyTerra SkyTerra (SKYT), formerly Mobile Satellite Ventures (MSV or MSVLP), was a Reston, Virginia company that developed telecommunications systems that integrate satellite and terrestrial radio communication technologies into one system. In March 2010, ...
References
External links
Terrestar CorporationTerreStar NetworksTerrestar GlobalNSDDC Master Catalog - TerreStar 1 - 2009-035AAT&T Integrated Cellular-Satellite SolutionAT&T Announces Agreement with TerreStar to Offer Integrated Cellular/Satellite Solution
Buy This Satellite
- website for A Human Right
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Companies based in Reston, Virginia
Satellite telephony
Defunct mobile phone companies of the United States
Dish Network
Companies that filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2010
Companies that filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2011
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