ORBCOMM Partners With Calian to Develop Earth Station Equipment for Next-Gen OGx Service

ROCHELLE PARK, N.J., June 29, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ORBCOMM Inc. (Nasdaq: ORBC), a global provider of Internet of Things (IoT) solutions, today announced that it has signed a contract with Calian Group Ltd. (TSX: CGY), a leading provider of engineering services, software development, training and technical services, to develop earth station equipment for ORBCOMM’s next-generation, global IoT satellite service, OGx. ORBCOMM is collaborating with Inmarsat, the world leader in global mobile satellite communications, to develop OGx products and services to operate on Inmarsat’s L-band satellite constellation, offering the best-in-class combination of high bandwidth data packets with low-cost terminals.

Through its partnership with Calian, ORBCOMM will provide the equipment that will be installed at three Inmarsat land earth station facilities to enable global service for its OGx services. As part of the development process for the earth station equipment, ORBCOMM and Calian expect to meet key milestones beginning in mid-2022, including factory acceptance testing and engineering and alpha trials, followed by delivery and installation of the equipment by the end of 2022.

“We’re pleased to partner with a technology leader like Calian on the development of earth station equipment supporting our next-gen OGx service, which is a key milestone in delivering unparalleled network connectivity and best-in-class IoT solutions to industrial customers globally,” said David Roscoe, Senior Vice President of Engineering and Manufacturing for ORBCOMM. “OGx is a compelling offering developed specifically for remote monitoring and environmental sensing IoT applications with unmatched global coverage, battery power, bandwidth, speed and regulatory approvals at the best prices in the industry.”

With the initial deployment of the groundbreaking OGx service expected at the end of 2022, ORBCOMM will offer a higher data rate service designed to be nearly 40 times faster than the current IDP service, allowing for much larger messages and faster delivery times. ORBCOMM’s current generation IDP terminals can be seamlessly upgraded over-the-air to the higher data rate OGx service. In addition, ORBCOMM plans to offer an extremely power-efficient data service to support a daily message for multiple years on a satellite terminal utilizing a single AA battery, making it ideal for remote monitoring and environmental sensing applications. Both OGx offerings are designed to have expanded broadcasting capabilities to send data to large groups of terminals and leverage multiple modes of operation that can be tuned specifically for the required application.

“ORBCOMM’s next-generation, global service is enabling the Internet of Things to an even larger pool of applications, environments and people,” said Patrick Thera, President of Calian, Advanced Technologies. “We’re excited to provide our no-fail platform and capabilities to an industry leader like ORBCOMM to deliver their visionary OGx service. It’s a perfect partnership for us, and we are excited to be a part of their success.”

“ORBCOMM and Inmarsat have a proven history in delivering industry-leading satellite-enabled IoT solutions to operations in remote locations around the world,” said Mike Carter, President, Inmarsat Enterprise. “This recent partnership supports our roadmap toward the launch of OGx and our strategy of enabling highly reliable IoT solutions that work anywhere with our L-band network.”

In October 2020, ORBCOMM announced that it extended its agreement with Inmarsat for L-band satellite service through 2035 at a minimum. For more information about ORBCOMM’s long-time partnership with Inmarsat as well as its next-gen OGx products and services, please visit https://www.orbcomm.com/en/networks/satellite.

About ORBCOMM Inc.

ORBCOMM (Nasdaq: ORBC) is a global leader and innovator in the industrial Internet of Things, providing solutions that connect businesses to their assets to deliver increased visibility and operational efficiency. The company offers a broad set of asset monitoring and control solutions, including seamless satellite and cellular connectivity, unique hardware and powerful applications, all backed by end-to-end customer support, from installation to deployment to customer care. ORBCOMM has a diverse customer base including premier OEMs, solutions customers and channel partners spanning transportation, supply chain, warehousing and inventory, heavy equipment, maritime, natural resources, and government. For more information, visit www.orbcomm.com. You can also connect with ORBCOMM at https://blog.orbcomm.com, on Twitter at @ORBCOMM_Inc, at https://www.linkedin.com/company/orbcomm or at https://www.youtube.com/c/ORBCOMM_Inc.

About Calian, Advanced Technologies

Calian, Advanced Technologies solutions include satellite gateways and infrastructure for RF communications, telemetry, tracking and control systems, space science and earth observation. Calian, Advanced Technologies provides leading-edge communication products for terrestrial and satellite networks. In addition, we enable our commercial and defense customers to deliver reliable, high-quality products and systems by providing them with superior electronics engineering, manufacturing and test services. One of our key markets is custom satellite communications gateways for customers that require complex waveforms for the services they provide. Our customers are leaders in their industries providing systems tailored to meet their demanding requirements, with practical solutions, delivered on time and on budget.

About Inmarsat
Inmarsat is the world leader in global, mobile satellite communications. It owns and operates the world’s most diverse global portfolio of mobile telecommunications satellite networks, and holds a multi-layered, global spectrum portfolio, covering L-band, Ka-band and S-band, enabling unparalleled breadth and diversity in the solutions it provides. Inmarsat’s long-established global distribution network includes not only the world’s leading channel partners but also its own strong direct retail capabilities, enabling end to end customer service assurance.

The company has an unrivalled track record of operating the world’s most reliable global mobile satellite telecommunications networks, sustaining business and mission critical safety & operational applications for more than 40 years. It is also a major driving force behind technological innovation in mobile satellite communications, sustaining its leadership through a substantial investment and a powerful network of technology and manufacturing partners.

Inmarsat operates across a diversified portfolio of sectors with the financial resources to fund its business strategy and holds leading positions in the Maritime, Government, Aviation and Enterprise satcoms markets, operating consistently as a trusted, responsive and high-quality partner to its customers across the globe. For further information, visit www.inmarsat.com follow us on LinkedIn or on Twitter @InmarsatGlobal.

Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements discussed in this press release constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements generally relate to our plans, objectives and expectations for future events and include statements about our expectations, beliefs, plans, objectives, intentions, assumptions and other statements that are not historical facts. Such forward-looking statements, including those concerning the Company’s expectations, are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ materially from the results, projected, expected or implied by the forward-looking statements, some of which are beyond the Company’s control, that may cause the Company’s actual results, performance or achievements, or industry results, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. In addition, specific consideration should be given to various factors described in Part I, Item 1A. “Risk Factors” and Part II, Item 7. “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations,” and elsewhere in our Annual Report on Form 10-K, and other documents, on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly revise any forward-looking statements or cautionary factors, except as required by law.