It is the biggest and fastest ferry in the world, but potential users of the 720-tonne Ariane 5 rocket are being put off by the $120 million (£60.5 million) one-way fare.

Ariane 5, built by Arianespace, of France, is effectively the only rocket big enough to take the next generation of super-sized satellites into space. Communications companies are understood to be reluctant to buy these new satellites while there is only one rocket to hitch a ride to space. They fear that Ariane 5's control of the market will make it impossible to negotiate lower launch costs, which they do at present by playing rocket-launchers off against each other.

Big new satellites are needed to handle the growing volume of mobile phone calls around the world, particularly in Asia and India. It would be possible to launch a larger number of smaller satellites to handle demand, but bigger satellites have the advantage of generating more power, allowing mobile phones to have smaller batteries that last longer.

Big satellites may also be needed to handle growing internet data and video transmissions, which are expected to become as important as voice calls in the future. Dropped calls, failed connections and slower download speeds may blight the future of mobile phone use if communications companies avoid buying bigger satellites because of the launch costs.

ThalesAlenia Space and EADS Astrium, Europe's two satellite makers, are co-operating to develop the next-generation Alphabus class of communications satellite. These will weigh up to eight tonnes but be able to handle many more calls and data transfers.

Jean-Marie Robert, the head of telecom satellites at ThalesAlenia Space - which is working on an Alphabus satellite for Inmarsat for delivery in 2011 - said: “The way this industry works is that we build the satellite and the buyer then chooses the launcher they want based on price and reliability. But we need at least two launchers to have a competitive industry and to avoid expensive launches. We do not have that yet for Alphabus.” The only commercially available rocket that can take an eight-tonne satellite into high Earth geostationary orbit is the Ariane 5.

Atlas V, which is built by the Lockheed Martin-Boeing joint venture United Launch Alliance (ULA), can theoretically take up to eight tonnes into high orbit, but it is rarely available for non-US government missions. Likewise, the Delta IV rocket built by the ULA is primarily for US military use and for the Space Shuttle.

Most commercial satellites weigh between three tonnes and 5 tonnes and Ariane 5 can carry two into space at once. Other commercial launchers capable of carrying one of these smaller satellites into space include the Russian-built Soyuz and Proton and Chinese-built Long March.

Times Recommends

• Lies and cover-up at MG Rover exposed by report
• High oil prices push manufacturing costs up
• Primark founder steps down as chief executive