Science Past from the issue of October 22, 1960

WORLD TV VIA SATELLITES SET AT $170,000,000 — Fifty improved courier-type communications satellites would provide world-wide telephone and television facilities for a mere $170,000,000: $100,000,000 for the satellites and $70,000,000 for the ground stations. These are the figures the American Telephone and Telegraph Company estimated for the Federal Communications Commission in Washington, D.C. Without the luxury of television facilities, the telephone system alone would cost only $115,000,000. AT&T also estimated the cost of an economy system to link America, Europe and Hawaii with 30 active repeater satellites. The price for 600 telephone circuits and a two-way TV channel: $82,000,000.

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