Iridium World Page service, featuring pagers manufactured by U.S.-based Motorola and Japan-based Kyocera, will allow customers to receive alphanumeric messages of up to 200 characters in any one of 19 languages and numeric messages of up to 20 digits -- virtually anywhere on the planet. The messaging system can act either as a stand-alone service or as a complement to Iridium voice and short messaging services.

Iridium has engineered its global messaging system to accept messages from many popular input methods, including operator dispatch centers, touch-tone telephones, e-mail and the World Wide Web. Iridium pagers, which have a battery life of 30 days, are capable of receiving satellite messages when located inside buildings, as well as on board airplanes and on the high seas.

"With the launch of the Iridium World Page service, global travelers can now be certain that callers can reach them anytime, and virtually anywhere," said Dr. Edward F. Staiano, Iridium's vice chairman and CEO. "These pagers will allow customers to receive messages at a single Iridium contact number no matter where they travel, even in places where no terrestrial paging system has ever existed -- or ever will exist."

Messaging tests have gone extremely well, and distribution of the belt- worn Iridium pagers will begin immediately. Both Motorola and Kyocera are in the process of shipping units to the 12 Iridium "gateways" around the world. Iridium will be selling its messaging service through a global network of service providers. Agreements have been reached with major paging distributors around the world, including the world's largest, PageNet in the United States, Hutchinson in the United Kingdom, and DSS Mobilink in India.

"This is a revolutionary product that is going to change the way people communicate," said Len Bennett, director of operations for Motorola's Satellite Messaging Products.

Iridium satellite phones and pagers are the first commercial products to carry the newly approved International Telecommunications Union "registry mark," intended to enable subscribers to carry Iridium products into, and out of, countries without restriction. This registry mark will enhance the company's ability to deliver on its promise to provide global communications services.