MILPITAS, Calif., March 17, 2010 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Globalstar, Inc. (Nasdaq:GSAT), a leading provider of mobile satellite voice and data services to businesses, governments and consumers, today announced the company's initial response to the National Broadband Plan outlined earlier today by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). In the plan titled "Connecting America: The National Broadband Plan," the FCC presented a number of Internet broadband initiatives and recommendations designed to stimulate economic growth, spur job creation, and boost the country's capabilities in education, healthcare, and homeland security.
Pertaining to wireless or mobile broadband the FCC stated, "Wireless broadband is poised to become a key platform for innovation in the United States over the next decade. As a result, U.S. spectrum policy requires reform to accommodate the new ways that industry is delivering wireless services." In order to help ensure that there is sufficient, flexible spectrum that accommodates growing demand and evolving technologies, the plan stated the FCC should, "accelerate terrestrial deployment in 90 MHz of Mobile Satellite Spectrum." The Plan recommended, "the FCC should grant licensees flexibility under the ATC regime in the 2.4 GHz Big LEO band, already being used for terrestrial broadband deployments, to make this spectrum permanently suitable for terrestrial broadband service, subject to appropriate safeguards to promote the public interest."
Globalstar is the first, and so far the only, mobile satellite service (MSS) operator to have utilized its ancillary terrestrial component (ATC) authority. Its terrestrial broadband business partner, Open Range Communications, Inc., began offering rural broadband WiMAX service to subscribers in Northern Colorado in November 2009. Globalstar is presently licensed to use a total of 19.275 MHz of its "Big LEO" spectrum (1610-1617.775/2483.5-2495 MHz) for ATC.
"We applaud the FCC's plans to create an economic and regulatory environment that will stimulate job creation and foster development of the world's fastest and most innovative broadband networks here in the United States, and we are encouraged by their thoughts regarding optimizing the use of MSS spectrum," said Peter Dalton, Chief Executive Officer, Globalstar, Inc. "We are already utilizing our ATC authorization to lease satellite spectrum to terrestrial rural broadband provider Open Range Communications. We welcome the Commission's view that the public would benefit if we and the rest of the MSS community had greater flexibility to use our spectrum for further terrestrial applications. We look forward to working with the public policy makers and our industry colleagues in a collective effort to provide Americans with access to the world's fastest and most innovative mobile services."
About Globalstar, Inc.
With over 375,000 subscribers, Globalstar is a leading provider of mobile satellite voice and data services. Globalstar offers these services to commercial and recreational users in more than 120 countries around the world. The Company's products include mobile and fixed satellite telephones, simplex and duplex satellite data modems and flexible service packages. Many land based and maritime 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, emergency preparedness, and business continuity as well as individual recreational users. Globalstar data solutions are ideal for various asset and personal tracking, data monitoring and SCADA applications.
For more information regarding Globalstar, please visit Globalstar's web site at www.globalstar.com.