MILPITAS, Calif., July 6, 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 opening of a 90-day launch window for the inaugural lift-off of six Globalstar second-generation satellites. This marks the first in a series of launches Globalstar is planning to upgrade its low-earth-orbit (LEO) satellite constellation. Four launches of six satellites per launch are planned with the first expected in the September or early October timeframe. The satellites will be launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan using the highly reliable Soyuz launch vehicle, the same vehicle used to launch astronauts and cosmonauts to the international space station and to successfully launch Globalstar satellites on eight previous occasions.
"Today's launch operations milestone achievement further demonstrates we are on-time, on-budget and from a timeline perspective over 95-percent of the way through the process of planning, designing, manufacturing and launching the first of our new satellites," said Tony Navarra, President of Global Operations for Globalstar, Inc. "Globalstar is on schedule to become the world's first LEO global mobile satellite voice and data company to deliver and deploy a second-generation satellite constellation, giving us up to a six-year competitive advantage over our primary competitor. Once our new constellation is fully deployed we expect to see increased revenues and subscriber growth as we once again offer the highest levels of voice and data quality in the mobile satellite services industry."
The new satellites are designed to be fully compatible with Globalstar's current suite of first-generation mobile satellite products and services. Once the new satellites are in operational orbit, the most immediate impact will be on those Globalstar customers who use the Company's current voice and duplex data services. With each of the four launches, these customers can expect progressive improvement in reliability and overall service quality.
The advanced second-generation constellation, which secures Globalstar's space segment beyond the year 2025, will be the world's newest commercial satellite network. The deployment timetable for the new constellation is expected to afford Globalstar a significant competitive head start over Iridium which recently announced it will not complete deployment of its second-generation constellation until at least 2017.
Once fully deployed, the new Globalstar constellation and next-generation ground network are expected to provide customers with increased data speeds of up to 256 Kbps in a flexible Internet protocol Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) configuration. Products and services supported are expected to include: push-to-talk and multicasting, advanced messaging capabilities such as multimedia messaging or MMS, mobile video, geo-location services, multi-band and multi-mode handsets, and data devices with GPS integration.
About Globalstar, Inc.
With over 375,000 activated satellite voice and data units, Globalstar offers high value, high quality satellite services to commercial customers and recreational consumers in more than 120 countries around the world. The Company's voice and data products include mobile and fixed satellite telephones, simplex and duplex satellite data modems, the SPOT Satellite GPS Messenger™ 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 tracking, data monitoring and SCADA applications.
Safe Harbor Language for Globalstar Releases
This press release contains certain statements such as "Once fully deployed, the new constellation and next-generation ground network are expected to provide Globalstar customers with increased data speeds of up to 256 Kbps in a flexible Internet protocol Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) configuration," that are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are subject to a number of assumptions, risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond Globalstar's control, including demand for the Company's products and services; problems relating to the construction, launch or in-orbit performance of its existing and future satellites, problems relating to the ground-based facilities operated by it or by independent gateway operators; its ability to attract sufficient additional funding if needed to meet its future capital requirements; competition and its competitiveness vis-a-vis other providers of satellite and ground-based communications products and services; the pace and effects of industry consolidation; the continued availability of launch insurance on commercially reasonable terms, and the effects of any insurance exclusions; changes in technology; its ability to continue to attract and retain qualified personnel; worldwide economic, geopolitical and business conditions and risks associated with doing business on a global basis; and legal, regulatory, and tax developments, including changes in domestic and international government regulation.
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 the Company undertakes no obligation to update any such statements. Additional information on factors that could influence Globalstar's financial results is included in its filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its Registration Statement on Form S-1.