Assuming each pearls have commercial operational life of 5 years...

Assuming each pearls have commercial operational life of 5 years then there is a limited time window in which they must launch certain minimum numbers of them each year. The number I calculated is around 67-68 a year assuming that each satellite need to be replaced after 4 years, that is before they reach too close for comfort to maximum operational life. By my expectation that 67-68 would cost around, minimum, 71 million a year to launch and operate. So it would not make sense, for example, for SAS to just launch 2 batches of 16 satellite for a total of 32 in 2019 and then do 32 on average onwards. That simply would never ever, by ways of mathematics, make for 200+ satellite constellation and would be absolute horsedung waste of money and should ring alarm bells...based on my calculation SAS would have to launch, starting from 2019, 67-68 pearls a year continuously forever based on current design...So to me it is quite clear and indisputable that it is not just about getting bread crumbs here and there and call it funding...but they actually need certain amounts each year starting from when they first launch, by my calculation that number is 71-80+ million a year. If SAS starts launch in 2019 then they would need that amount each year from that year onward.

All in my opinion, based on my understanding, do your own research.