The satellite communications industry has a storied history of broken promises and multiple bankruptcies, and isn't exactly one that stands out as an attractive investment. Teledesic is a poster child for shattered dreams and billions lost. However, firms like Iridium and Globalstar both managed to come back from zombie-land and get a second chance at life, targeting mostly niche markets like maritime and aviation. These existing satellite service providers are trying to remain relevant tech-wise, notes FierceWirelessTech Editor Monica Alleven. Iridium hopes to offer newer, faster user terminals for the maritime, aviation and land sectors and Globalstar is still waiting to hear the FCC's verdict on whether it can use Terrestrial Low Power Service (TLPS) to relieve crowded Wi-Fi spectrum. Newer satellite-to-be players, including OneWeb and SpaceX, have a key advantage over their old cousins: access to newer satellite technologies that bring down the costs of deployment significantly. Editor's Corner
