They are in effect accomplishing the same goal with a billion dollar satellite that picks up cell phone calls in a denied country vs. a lawful intercept request

They are in effect accomplishing the same goal with a billion dollar satellite that picks up cell phone calls in a denied country vs. a lawful intercept request from the phone company here in the U.S. The reason NSA has to get data from NRO satellites or its own clandestine taps (or Navy submarines, or what have you) is because North Korea's telco won't honor their intercept requests. Why spend the money when you can effectively just send an email to a friendly party? When we're talking the United States, FBI can exercise their legal privileges and avoid all that technical cost.