COVINGTON, La., Aug. 29, 2011 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Globalstar, Inc. (Nasdaq:GSAT), a leading provider of mobile satellite voice and data services to businesses, government and consumers, today announced that Mr. Laurent Wauquiez, the French Minister in charge of Space Operations, has issued to Globalstar its final authorization to operate its second generation constellation of satellites. Consequently, the French Ministry has commenced the process to register the satellites with the United Nations as provided under the Convention on Registration of Objects Launched into Outer Space. Globalstar's second generation satellite constellation represents one of the first space operations authorized under the recently enacted French Space Act.
In March of this year, the International Bureau of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) granted Globalstar conditional authority to operate its second-generation satellites within the United States pending the completion of the French authorization process. Globalstar has formally notified the Federal Communications Commission of the successful completion of this process in order to bring the Commission's March 18, 2011 Order into effect.
Globalstar will now activate its ground stations in North America to begin sending and receiving call traffic with the second-generation satellites, thus improving coverage availability for Globalstar voice and duplex data customers in the United States, Canada, Northern Mexico, Puerto Rico and the surrounding regions.
"The final authorization of our second-generation constellation by the French Government represents a major milestone for Globalstar employees, shareholders and customers," said L. Barbee Ponder, General Counsel and VP of Regulatory Affairs, Globalstar, Inc. "On behalf of Globalstar, I would like to especially acknowledge and thank those at CNES (Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales), the French Ministry in charge of Space Operations (Ministère de l'Enesignement Supérieur et de la Recherche), the International Bureau of the FCC, and the numerous other individuals who helped ensure the successful completion of this process."
"This is fantastic news for our distributors and all the patient and loyal users of Globalstar's voice and duplex data services throughout the U.S., Canada, Northern Mexico and the Caribbean," said Steve Smits, VP of International Sales and Marketing, Globalstar, Inc. "As we activate our ground stations throughout the U.S. and Canada, these customers can expect their call completion percentage to substantially improve. We anticipate call completion will continue to improve for all of our global customers as we deploy additional satellites from our second launch in July as well as the 12 additional satellites slated to launch later this year."
Globalstar launched six new second-generation satellites in October of 2010 and an additional six satellites in July of 2011. The operational satellites from these first two launches have previously been providing improved coverage for Globalstar customers outside of North America and the surrounding territory. Last week, the Company announced the successful delivery of additional satellites to Baiknour where they are being prepped for the third launch currently scheduled for early October. Globalstar plans to complete the first four launches of its new satellites by the end of this year.
Once the new constellation is fully deployed, the Company expects to, once again, provide the world's finest quality mobile satellite voice and fastest mobile satellite handset data services to commercial, residential and government customers throughout its entire global coverage area.
About Globalstar, Inc.
Globalstar is a leading provider of mobile satellite voice and data services. Globalstar offers these services to commercial customers and recreational consumers in more than 120 countries around the world. The Company's products include mobile and fixed satellite telephones, simplex and duplex satellite data modems, the SPOT family of mobile satellite consumer products including the SPOT Satellite GPS Messenger™ and flexible airtime 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 consumers. Globalstar data solutions are ideal for various asset and personal tracking, data monitoring and SCADA applications. All SPOT products described in Globalstar or SPOT LLC press releases are the products of Spot LLC, which is not affiliated in any manner with Spot Image of Toulouse, France or Spot Image Corporation of Chantilly, Virginia.
For more information regarding Globalstar, please visit Globalstar's website at www.globalstar.com
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Safe Harbor Language for Globalstar Releases
This press release contains certain statements such as, "Once the new constellation is launched and fully deployed the Company expects to once again reliably provide the world's finest quality mobile satellite voice and fastest mobile satellite handset data services to commercial and government customers in more than 120 countries," that are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are based on current expectations and assumptions that are subject to risks and uncertainties which may cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements, such as the statements regarding the Company's ability to develop and expand its business, its anticipated capital spending (including for future satellite procurements and launches), its ability to manage costs, its ability to exploit and respond to technological innovation, the effects of laws and regulations (including tax laws and regulations) and legal and regulatory changes, the opportunities for strategic business combinations and the effects of consolidation in its industry on the Company and its competitors, its anticipated future revenues, its anticipated financial resources, its expectations about the future operational performance of its satellites (including their projected operational lives), the expected strength of and growth prospects for the Company's existing customers and the markets that it serves, commercial acceptance of its new Simplex products, including its SPOT satellite GPS messenger TM products, problems relating to the ground-based facilities operated by the Company or its independent gateway operators, worldwide economic, geopolitical and business conditions and risks associated with doing business on a global basis and other statements contained in this release regarding matters that are not historical facts, involve predictions.
Any forward-looking statements made in this press release speak as of the date made and are not guarantees of future performance. Actual results or developments may differ materially from the expectations expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements, and Globalstar undertakes no obligation to update any such statements. Additional information on factors that could influence the Company's financial results is included in its filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8-K.