The war in Yugoslavia has come not a moment too soon for Iridium. Not that the satellite phone company is celebrating. But as the new service struggles to get traction in the marketplace, the war has given Iridium a chance to prove its usefulness and get media exposure ranging from Good Morning America to German TV news.
Iridium is the first global hand-held satellite phone service.
In and around the war zones, there is often no wired or cellular phone service. The only way to call is by satellite. Aide groups such as the Red Cross are using Iridium phones. Iridium also has geared up its own humanitarian effort. It has sent three people with 12 phones to refugee camps in Macedonia, where they've let refugees make free calls.