Globalstar has formed a new joint venture with Korean maritime satellite services provider Arion Communication called Globalstar Asia Pacific.
The new company will operate the Globalstar gateway ground station in Korea and provide simplex and duplex…
Globalstar has formed a new joint venture with Korean maritime satellite services provider Arion Communication called Globalstar Asia Pacific.
The new company will operate the Globalstar gateway ground station in Korea and provide simplex and duplex mobile satellite voice and data to customers in Korea and the surrounding maritime region.
The two companies formed Globalstar Asia Pacific to acquire the existing gateway in Seoul from LG Telecom, which has been Globalstar’s service provider in the region since 2001. The acquisition and license transfer are subject to approval by the Korea Communications Commission (KCC) which is expected in the next few weeks.
According to the agreement, Arion will also provide Globalstar mobile satellite voice and data products and services in Korea.
Tony Park, CEO of Arion and now Globalstar Asia Pacific, said: “We are confident that, with the launch of the second-generation satellites beginning this summer, Globalstar will bring a huge paradigm shift in the market, having previously attained the single largest mobile satellite services market share position in the region. We also expect the new SPOT Satellite GPS Messenger and next-generation high speed duplex data communications services, which have not been provided in Korea before, will play a key role in expanding Globalstar’s market share exponentially.”
Meanwhile, Globalstar has commenced construction of a satellite tracking station in Botswana. The station will be used to complete the Globalstar satellite telemetry control unit (TCU) network that is to be used to monitor and control the company’s second-generation satellite constellation scheduled for launch beginning this summer.
Globalstar previously announced that the 90-day window for the launch of the first six Globalstar second-generation satellites is scheduled to open on July 5th of this year. Once the satellites are deployed, the TCU network will provide Globalstar with the ability to communicate with and monitor the condition of its new constellation from the company’s two satellite operations and control centre locations in California.
Construction of the Botswana tracking station is expected to be completed later this spring.