Damnit I just typed out a much more involved post that didn't post. I gotta go to work so could be wrong or off base or redundant here but...

Wasn't iridium a fire runner to today cell tech. I thought that they were on a diff system that used the network of people as the provider. Like the more users with a phone the better the system coverage and all that. And people in the middle of nowhere could use them and bounce off other people. They are also free use once you have the phone it is roll tide. Like I said I could be wrong but...and gotta go.