Globalstar, Inc. provides Mobile Satellite Services (‘MSS’) including wholesale capacity services to the customer and voice and data communications services to retail, business and governmental customers.
The company offers these services over its network of in-orbit satellites and ground stations, (gateways), pursuant to its spectrum licenses, which it refers to collectively as the Globalstar System. In addition to supporting Internet of Things (IoT) data transmissions in a variety of applicat...
Globalstar, Inc. provides Mobile Satellite Services (‘MSS’) including wholesale capacity services to the customer and voice and data communications services to retail, business and governmental customers.
The company offers these services over its network of in-orbit satellites and ground stations, (gateways), pursuant to its spectrum licenses, which it refers to collectively as the Globalstar System. In addition to supporting Internet of Things (IoT) data transmissions in a variety of applications, the company provides reliable connectivity in areas not served, or underserved, by terrestrial wireless and wireline networks, and in circumstances where terrestrial networks are not operational due to natural, or man-made, disasters.
Business Strategy
The company's competitive advantages are leveraged through its ability to successfully deliver wholesale satellite capacity, terrestrial spectrum, and network solutions, communications products and services, and government services. These core competencies are outlined below.
Wholesale satellite capacity services include satellite network access and related services over the Globalstar System. The company provides certain services to Apple Inc. (the Customer) pursuant to an agreement, (the Service Agreement), and certain related ancillary agreements (such agreements, together with the Service Agreement, the Service Agreements). The Service Agreements generally require the company to allocate network capacity to support the services provided to the customer, and also for the customer to enable Band 53/n53 for use in cellular-enabled devices designated by the customer for use with the services. The company retains 15% of its current and future network capacity to support its other customers, including its existing and future Commercial IoT, SPOT, and Duplex subscribers. This capacity can support a substantial increase in the company's own subscriber base. This retained satellite capacity can be used by the company directly, or through additional wholesale customer opportunities.
The company has terrestrial licenses in 12 countries, resulting in approximately 11.9 billion MHz-POPs (megahertz of its spectrum authority in each country multiplied by a total population of approximately 1.0 billion over the covered area) as of December 31, 2024. Prospective spectrum partners, including cable companies, wireless carriers, system integrators, utilities, and other infrastructure operators, are able to benefit from access to uniform, and increasingly, borderless spectrum working across geographies. The Service Agreements significantly enhance the device ecosystem for Band 53/n53 by enabling access to the company's terrestrial spectrum band in certain of the customer's devices.
The company has an Intellectual Property License Agreement, (the License Agreement), with XCOM Labs, Inc. (now known as Virewirx, Inc.) (Licensor or XCOM). Under the License Agreement, the company purchased an exclusive right and license (the License), as well as certain intellectual property assets relating to the development and commercialization of XCOM’s key novel technologies for wireless spectrum innovations, including XCOM RAN systems, which is XCOM’s commercially available coordinated multi-point radio system. XCOM RAN systems deliver substantial capacity gains in dense, complex, challenging wireless environments in sub 7 GHz spectrum. The company also gained exclusive access to XCOM’s peer-to-peer connectivity technologies that could have applications across cellular and satellite devices. As part of the License Agreement, certain XCOM employees, including engineering, test, product, and R&D professionals, who helped develop the licensed technologies, have continued to further commercialize the technology on behalf of the company.
Communications Products and Services
The company provides the following communications products and services to its MSS subscribers:
data transmissions using a mobile or fixed device that transmits the location of the device and other information to a central monitoring station, including the company’s commercial IoT products (Commercial IoT);
communication and data transmissions using its SPOT family of devices that emergency alerts, transmit messages and the location of the device (SPOT); and
voice communication and data transmissions (Duplex).
Government Services
The company has an exclusive partnership with Parsons Corporation, a governmental services company, to utilize the Globalstar System to provide an innovative solution designed to enhance resilience against disrupted communication pathways. The company also provides engineering services to assist certain governmental and other customers in developing new applications to operate on its network and to enhance its ground network. These services include hardware and software designs to develop specific applications operating over the company's satellite network, as well as the installation of gateways and antennas.
Globalstar System
Satellite Network
The company's constellation of Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites is designed to maximize the probability that at least one satellite is visible from any point on the Earth's surface between the latitudes 70° north and 70° south.
In 2022, the company entered into a satellite procurement agreement with Macdonald, Dettwiler and Associates Corporation (MDA) pursuant to which it expects to acquire at least 17 and up to 26 satellites. In August 2024, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Space Bureau issued an order granting the company's application to replenish its HIBLEO-4 U.S.-licensed system with up to 26 satellites and operate them under an additional fifteen-year license term to provide long-term continuity of its MSS. The technical specifications and design of these replacement satellites are similar to the company's current satellites. The satellite procurement agreement requires delivery of the 17 new satellites by 2025. In February 2025, the company entered into another agreement with MDA pursuant to which it expects to acquire more than 50 satellites related to the Extended MSS Network. In 2023, the company entered into a Launch Services Agreement with Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX) and certain related ancillary agreements, (the Launch Services Agreements), providing for the launch of the first set of these new satellites. In October 2024, the company entered into another agreement with SpaceX for the launch of the new satellites related to the Extended MSS Network.
Ground Network
The company's satellites communicate with a network of gateways, each of which serves an area of approximately 700,000 to 1,000,000 square miles. A gateway must be within line-of-sight of a satellite, and the satellite must be within line-of-sight of the subscriber to provide services. The company has positioned its gateways to provide coverage over most of the Earth's land and human population, and continue to evaluate and as deemed necessary, expand its gateway footprint to optimize coverage.
Each of the company's gateways has multiple antennas that communicate with its satellites and pass communications seamlessly between antenna beams and satellites as the satellites traverse the gateways, thereby reflecting the signals from its users' terminals to its gateways. Once a satellite acquires a signal from an end-user, the Globalstar System authenticates the user and establishes the voice or data channel to complete the call to a device connected to the public switched telephone network (PSTN), a cellular, or another wireless network, or the internet for data communications, including Commercial IoT services.
The company's multiple gateways allow it to reconfigure its system quickly to extend another gateway's coverage to make up for lost coverage from a disabled gateway or to handle increased capacity resulting from surges in demand.
The company's ground network includes its ground equipment, which uses technology permitting communication to multiple satellites. The company's system architecture provides full frequency re-use. This maximizes satellite diversity (which maximizes quality) and network capacity as it can reuse the assigned spectrum in every satellite beam in every satellite. In addition, the company has developed a proprietary technology for its SPOT and Commercial IoT services.
Throughout the past few years, the company has built additional gateways around the world, including new antennas and appliques, to improve its ability to pursue significant new opportunities to deploy its as technologies and customer needs evolve and to ensure the performance of the company continues to excel as these opportunities increase demand on its capacity.
Customers
The company provides services to customers in each area of its business, including wholesale satellite capacity, terrestrial spectrum and network solutions, communications products and services, and government services. The company enables direct-to-cellular connectivity over the Globalstar System to the Customer under the Updated Services Agreements through a wholesale capacity arrangement.
The company also provides communications products and services to its MSS subscribers. As of December 31, 2024, it had approximately 774,000 subscribers worldwide. The subscriber count only includes its MSS subscribers using devices sold and manufactured by Globalstar. For its subscriber-driven revenue, the specialized needs of its global customers span many industries. The Globalstar System is able to offer its customers cost-effective communications solutions completely independent of cellular coverage. Although traditional users of wireless telephony and broadband data services have access to such services in developed locations, the company's MSS customers often operate, travel, and/or live in remote regions or regions with under-developed telecommunications infrastructure where such services are not readily available or are not provided on a reliable basis.
Communications Products and Services
Commercial IoT Transmission Products
Satellite IoT connectivity has become more critical to a growing number of sectors and use cases. The company's Commercial IoT service is currently a one-way data service from an IoT device over the Globalstar System that can be used to track and monitor assets. Its subscribers use the company’s Commercial IoT devices for a host of applications, including tracking assets, such as cargo containers and rail cars, monitoring utility meters, and monitoring oil and gas assets. At the heart of the company's Commercial IoT services is a demodulator and RF interface, called an applique, which is located at a gateway and an application server in its facilities. The applique-equipped gateways provide coverage over vast areas of the globe. The small size of the IoT devices makes them attractive for use in tracking asset shipments, monitoring unattended remote assets, trailer tracking, and mobile security.
The company provides Commercial IoT services to customers operating in a variety of industries, primarily government, transportation, construction, agriculture, and forestry. Current customers include various governmental agencies, such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency, U.S. Army, U.S. Air Force, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Forest Service, and U.K. Ministry of Defence, as well as other organizations, such as BP, Shell, and The Salvation Army.
The company designed its Commercial IoT services to address demand in the market for a small and cost-effective solution for sending data, such as geographic coordinates, from assets or individuals in remote locations to a central monitoring station. Customers realize an efficiency advantage from tracking assets on a single global system as compared to several regional systems.
Satellite Transmitter Modules and Chips
The company offers small satellite transmitter modules, such as the STX-3, ST-150, and ST100, and chips, such as its proprietary ASIC, which enable products that integrate its modules to access its network. The company has sales arrangements with major resellers to market its Commercial IoT services, including some value-added resellers that integrate its modules into their proprietary solutions designed to meet certain specialized niche market applications. The STX3 provides additional opportunities to integrate satellite connectivity into products used for vehicle and asset tracking, remote data reporting, and data logger reporting that have limited size requirements. Affordable pricing, low power consumption, and its small size make the STX3 a highly efficient module ready for integration in a wide variety of applications. The ST100, or ST100 Satellite Transmitter, is a small, lightweight, and low power IoT board with embedded antennas. The ST100 offers a customizable approach to new Commercial IoT product innovations and can be used by simply adding power, a mechanical enclosure, and configuring the settings within the device firmware. The low cost, size, weight, and power consumption of the ST100 also make it ideal for animal tracking. For more advanced technical requirements, third parties can write their own firmware on the ST100 and utilize Bluetooth wireless technology and the serial connector to expand the use of the board and integrate it with other devices or hardware. The ASIC provides a single chip one-way solution that can be embedded in a customer's own solution.
SmartOne Asset Managers
The company also offers complete products that utilize the STX-3 transmitter module and its ASIC chip. The company's Commercial IoT units, including the enterprise-grade SmartOne family of asset-ready tracking units, are used worldwide by industrial, commercial and government customers. These products provide cost-effective, low-power, ultra-reliable, secure monitoring that help solve a variety of security applications and asset tracking challenges. Partnering with existing third party technology providers, the company is developing IoT products to connect existing and new users and accelerate deployment of an expanded Globalstar Commercial IoT product offerings.
The company also offers SmartOne Solar, which is solar-powered and supports similar functionality to its SmartOne suite of products without the need to recharge batteries or line power the device over an expected life of up to ten years. These features will result in a longer field life than existing devices. The SmartOne Solar also has unparalleled safety and environmental certifications, including ATEX, IECEx, North America (NEC & CEC), IP68/69K, and HERO.
Realm Enablement Suite
The Realm Enablement Suite is an innovative portfolio of satellite asset tracking hardware and software solutions featuring a powerful application enablement platform for processing smart data at the edge. With Realm, partners can accelerate new solutions to market with smart applications that generate an advanced level of telematics data. The Realm Enablement Suite includes Integrity 150, the first solar-powered, deployment-ready satellite asset tracking device with an application enablement platform; ST150M, a satellite modem module that drastically simplifies product development; and the Realm application enablement platform, which will offer tools and an extensive library for quickly accessing and developing smart applications at the edge for vertical-specific solutions.
Future Developments
The company is developing two-way Commercial IoT products, which would significantly expand its opportunities in the Commercial IoT market, because this technology would have capabilities that include tracking as well as command control and acknowledgment message types. The company's two-way chipset expects to support both satellite and cellular IoT connections from the same technology stack, at a very attractive cost, size, weight, and power consumption profile. Its two-way module and finished product are designed to provide the fundamentals to effectively pursue sales opportunities with carriers, enterprises, large resellers, system integrators, and any party looking to extend their business models with satellite connectivity.
Product Distribution
The reseller channel for Commercial IoT equipment and service consists primarily of value-added resellers and commercial communications equipment companies that retain and bill clients directly, outside of its billing system. Many of the company's resellers specialize in niche vertical markets where high-use customers are concentrated.
SPOT Consumer Retail Products
The SPOT product family has been used to initiate thousands of rescues since its launch in 2007. SPOT products deliver affordable and reliable satellite-based connectivity and real-time GPS tracking to its users, completely independent of cellular coverage.
The company sells SPOT Gen4TM, SPOT X, and SPOT Trace products. SPOT Gen4TM products enable subscribers to transmit predefined messages to a specific preprogrammed email address, phone, or data device, including requests for assistance and ‘SOS’ messages in the event of an emergency. SPOT X products are two-way SPOT devices with keyboard functionality, allowing subscribers to send and receive SMS messages. SPOT X products connect to a smartphone via Bluetooth wireless technology through the SPOT X app to send and receive satellite messages, including SOS messages. SPOT Trace products are cost-effective, anti-theft, and asset-tracking devices that notify owners via email or text anytime movement is detected, using 100% satellite technology to provide location-based messaging and emergency notification for on or off the grid communications.
The company targets its SPOT devices to recreational and commercial markets that require personal tracking, emergency location, and messaging solutions that operate beyond the reach of terrestrial wireless and wireline coverage. Using its network and web-based mapping software, these devices provide subscribers with the ability to trace a path geographically or map the location of individuals or equipment. SPOT products and services are available through the company's product distribution channels and its direct e-commerce website. The company is a vertically integrated MSS provider, and this integration results in decreased pre-production costs, greater quality assurance, and shorter time to market for its retail consumer products.
Product Distribution
The company distributes and sells its SPOT products through a variety of distribution channels. It has distribution relationships with a number of ‘Big Box’ retailers and other similar distribution channels, including Amazon, Bass Pro Shops, Cabela's, REI, Sportsman's Warehouse, Academy, and West Marine. The company also sells SPOT products and services directly using its existing sales force and through its direct e-commerce website, www.findmespot.com.
Duplex Two-Way Voice and Data Products
Mobile Voice and Data Satellite Communications Services and Equipment
The company provides mobile voice and data services to a variety of commercial, government, and individual customers for remote business continuity, recreational usage, safety, emergency preparedness and response, and other applications. It offers its services for use only with equipment designed to work on its network. Subscribers typically pay an initial activation fee, a usage fee for a fixed or unlimited number of minutes, and fees for additional services such as voicemail, call forwarding, short messaging, email, data compression, and internet access. The company regularly monitors its service offerings and rate plans in accordance with customer demands and market changes, and offer pricing plans such as bundled minutes, annual plans, and unlimited plans.
Spectrum and Regulatory Structure
The company benefits from a worldwide allocation of radio frequency spectrum in the international radio frequency tables administered by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU). Access to this globally harmonized spectrum enables the company to design satellites, networks, and terrestrial infrastructure enhancements more cost-effectively because the products and services can be deployed and sold worldwide. In addition, this broad spectrum allocation enhances the company's ability to capitalize on existing and emerging wireless and broadband applications.
Satellite Network
In the United States, the FCC has authorized the company to operate its senior HIBLEO-4 system between 1610-1618.725 MHz (L-Band) for ‘Uplink’ communications from user terminals to its satellites and between 2483.5-2500 MHz (S-Band) for ‘Downlink’ communications from its satellites to user terminals. The FCC has also authorized the company to operate its domestic gateways with its first-generation satellites, and it also obtained all authorizations necessary from the FCC to operate its domestic gateways with its second-generation satellites in the 5091-5250 and 6875-7055 MHz bands (C-Band). In August 2024, the FCC Space Bureau issued an order granting the company's application to replenish its HIBLEO-4 U.S.-licensed system with up to 26 additional satellites and operate them under a renewed fifteen-year license term to provide long-term MSS.
The company licensed and registered its second-generation satellites in France. The French National Agency for Radio Frequencies (ANFR) authorized its HIBLEO-X system to operate frequency assignments between 1610-1621.35 MHz for Uplink communications from user terminals to its satellites and between 2483.5-2500 MHz for Downlink communications from its satellites to user terminals. France’s National Space Agency (CNES) authorized Globalstar’s in-orbit operation of the HIBLEO-X system. In accordance with its authorization to operate the second-generation satellites, the company completed enhancements to the existing gateway operations in Aussaguel, France, to include satellite operations and control functions. The company has redundant satellite operation control facilities in Covington, Louisiana, Aussaguel, France, and Milpitas, California. During 2020, its French authorizations to provide MSS and operate the gateway in Aussaguel, France, were renewed for an additional 10-year term.
The company will license and register the additional satellites of its Extended MSS Network in France under the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) filing AST-NG-C-3 (the C-3 System). The company is in the process of obtaining all necessary authorizations from France to operate the C-3 System. France will also be the notifying administration to the U.N. Register of Space Objects and will be responsible for authorization and regulation of its on-orbit operations. The company's subsidiary, Globalstar Licensee LLC, has filed a Petition for Declaratory Ruling with the U.S. Federal Communications Commission requesting U.S. market access for its next-generation C-3 System.
Terrestrial Authority for Globalstar's Licensed 2.4 GHz Spectrum
The company is authorized to provide terrestrial broadband services over 11.5 MHz of its licensed MSS spectrum at 2483.5 to 2495 MHz (S-Band) throughout the United States of America.
The Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), an organization that produces technical specifications and reports for 3GPP technologies, has designated the 11.5 MHz terrestrial band as Band 53, with the 5G variant of its Band 53 known as n53 (collectively Band 53/n53).
The company has a strategic perpetual licensing agreement for exclusive access to certain key XCOM technologies and personnel. The license covers a number of XCOM’s novel technologies for wireless spectrum innovations, including XCOM RAN, XCOM’s commercially available coordinated multipoint radio system. XCOM technologies deliver substantial capacity gains and other benefits in dense, complex, challenging wireless environments in sub 7 GHz spectrum, including Band n53. The company also gained exclusive access to XCOM’s peer-to-peer connectivity technologies that could have applications across cellular and satellite devices.
Competition
The company’s direct-to-cellular service also faces competition from newly announced service providers, including SpaceX's Starlink and a number of new market entrants.
The company’s largest global competitors are Viasat, Iridium and ORBCOMM. The company’s principal regional MSS competitor in the Middle East and Africa is Thuraya.
Intellectual Property
The company holds various U.S. and foreign patents and patents pending, including those acquired from the License Agreement. These patents cover many aspects of the company's satellite system, its global network, its user terminals and XCOM technologies.
Seasonality
Usage on the Globalstar System and subscriber device sales are subject to seasonal and situational changes. April through October are typically the company's peak months for usage-based MSS service revenues and equipment sales.
Research and Development Expenses
The company's research and development costs were $6.5 million for 2024.
History
Globalstar, Inc. was founded in 1993. The company was incorporated in 2003.
