Globalstar Enhances
Service in Florida and Caribbean by Opening Satellite Gateway in
Sebring
(14 July 2005) Globalstar LLC,
the world's most widely used handheld satellite phone provider and a leading
supplier of high-value satellite voice and data services to business, has
enhanced service coverage in Florida, the Gulf of Mexico, and the Caribbean
with the opening of a new Globalstar gateway in Sebring, Florida.
The Federal Communications Commission has approved the
operation of a new Globalstar gateway to ensure that enhanced service and
coverage would be available with hurricane season approaching earlier than
usual this year. Globalstar expects the gateway to begin operation later today,
immediately providing expanded satellite coverage in the Southeastern United
States and the Caribbean.
"The opening of the Sebring Gateway is a
major milestone for Globalstar and represents a significant commitment to
continuously improving service and coverage for our maritime business,
recreational and emergency response customers who rely on satellite
communications in that region of our North American service area," said Jay
Monroe, CEO and Chairman of Globalstar LLC. "Further, the opening represents
another step in Globalstar's effort to continually upgrade our network
infrastructure to accommodate a growing number of subscribers and support new
applications that use Globalstar voice and data services."
The Sebring
Gateway, the company's first newly constructed gateway since 2004, was
originally expected to be fully operational August 1. However, with hurricane
season approaching earlier than usual this year, work was accelerated and the
FCC application process was accelerated to ensure that enhanced service and
coverage would be available in Florida, the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean.
The FCC used its power to grant a special temporary authority to enable
Globalstar to operate the gateway while the FCC processes Globalstar's
application to operate the facility permanently.
Globalstar has a
solid track record with county, state and federal agencies involved in disaster
relief, emergency response and law enforcement. Last year, response teams used
Globalstar satellite handsets to co-ordinate relief efforts following the
aftermath of the hurricanes which hit the Florida region. Agencies such as FEMA
have been long-standing users of Globalstar, in order to provide emergency
communications service during incidents around the country.
While
contingency communications applications are an immediate need, Globalstar
originally conceived the Sebring gateway to serve a burgeoning number of users
in the region. "The need is immediate, not only for emergency communications,
but for our customers who regularly use Globalstar voice and data services,"
added Monroe. "Some of our most prolific users are in the Caribbean and
surrounding areas, including recreational boaters, oil & gas companies and
other industrial users. Growth among these segments continues to exceed our
expectations, and we focus our efforts to maintain our service at levels our
customers have come to expect."
About Globalstar
Globalstar
offers high value, quality satellite voice and data services to commercial and
recreational users from virtually anywhere in more than 120 countries. The
company's voice and data products include mobile and fixed satellite units,
simplex and duplex satellite data modems and flexible service packages. Many
industries benefit from Globalstar with increased productivity from remote
areas beyond cellular and landline service. Global customer segments include;
oil and gas, government, mining, forestry, commercial fishing, utilities,
military, transportation, heavy construction as well as individual recreational
users. Globalstar service is available for as little as US$ 0.14 per minute in
the United States.
(source: Globalstar)