But unlike Iridium's 66 low-orbit birds, Astrolink will cover the earth with only four high-orbit geostationary fliers.

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If all goes well, Astrolink figures to earn 50% operating margins with usage rates at or below rivals'.

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And while rivals will crowd the skies--Hughes Electronics' Spaceway, Loral's CyberStar and Teledesic among them--Astrolink promises global coverage.

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"For a Benetton or Fed-Ex with 1, 500 sites worldwide we'll offer one-stop broadband shopping, and we don't care if they have fiber or not, " says Celso Azevedo, Astrolink's president and a DirecTV International veteran.

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