Bermuda-registeredIridium LLC, the financially troubled satellite telephone system it bankrolled, that service would end on March 17 unless a buyer for Iridium comes forward.

In a letter sent this week to customers who bought Iridium phones directly from Motorola, the Schaumburg, Illinois-based telecommunications company said it would continue support for Iridium until March 17, when Iridium's last-ditch financing runs out. Motorola was the primary backer of Iridium and owns a stake in the company, which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection last August.

"Unless a qualified buyer comes forward and provides additional funding by March 15, 2000, we do not expect Iridium service to be available after 11.59 p.m. EST on March 17, 2000,'' Motorola's cellular service division said in the letter dated on March 6.