seaweedsteve wrote:
> I don't know why lower altitude solutions have not been successfully
> developed but I'll sign up when they do!

Lower orbits would not be geosynchronous and require constant re-aiming of
a dish antenna or a "just point up to the sky" low gain antenna like the
Lindenblad http://www.amsat.org/amsat/articles/w6shp/lindy.html and then it
would be only a 20 minute or so communications link as the bird travels
from horizon to horizon.