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January 2001
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TMI Communications and Motient Corporation announce plans to form new Mobile Satellite Venture
OTTAWA, Jan. 16 -- Motient Corporation
and TMI Communications and Company, L.P. announced on Jan 15, the
signing of a definitive agreement, to merge Motient Satellite Ventures with TMI to serve customers all over the North American Continent. Last summer Motient announced the formation of Motient
Satellite Ventures in partnership with three of the nation's leading private
equity investors, Columbia Capital, Spectrum Equity Investors, and Telcom
Ventures, LLC.
The newly formed company, called Mobile Satellite Ventures (MSV), will
bring together the technology and the resources required to create the next
generation of mobile satellite services in North America. The new satellite
system will use a highly innovative and spectrum efficient combination of spot beam satellites and fill-in terrestrial base stations.
"As pioneers in the mobile satellite business, we are convinced that a
satellite-only system is ideal for rural and remote areas, and with
terrestrial enhancements can also be affordable and competitive in urban
communities," said Gary M. Parsons, chairman of Motient. "The techniques
employed by the proposed system represent a breakthrough in satellite-
terrestrial spectrum management, and hold substantial promise for the
development of a viable mass market for mobile satellite services."
"This joint venture between North America's two leading mobile satellite
operators will benefit everyone," said Larry Boisvert, president and CEO of
TMI Communications. "By consolidating our operations and our expertise, the
company formed by this union can operate profitably, provide better customer
service, and develop exciting new applications and services in the years to
come."
Services to the two companies existing customers will operate normally and will seamlessly be integrated into the new company's operations. Once
regulatory approvals are secured, TMI and Motient will consolidate certain of
their operating facilities to maximize the operating efficiencies the merger
provides.
About TMI Communications
TMI Communications & Company is a leading
North American developer and supplier of mobile satellite
communications services, delivering a full portfolio of wireless
digital data, voice, fax and dispatch radio applications from the
powerful MSAT-1 satellite. Headquartered in Ottawa, Ontario, TMI
Communications is a member of the BCE Media group and a wholly owned
subsidiary of BCE Inc., one of the world's premier
telecommunications companies. http://www.tmisolutions.com
About Motient
Motient owns and operates an integrated
terrestrial/satellite network and provides a wide range of two-way
mobile and Internet communications services principally to
business-to-business customers and enterprises. The company provides
eLink(SM) two-way wireless email service to customers accessing
email through corporate servers, Internet Service Provider (ISP) and
Mail Service Provider (MSP) accounts, and paging network suppliers.
Motient serves a variety of markets including mobile professionals,
telemetry, transportation, field service, and nationwide voice
dispatch offering coverage to all 50 states, Puerto Rico, the U.S.
Virgin Islands, and hundreds of miles of U.S. coastal waters. http://www.motient.com
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