Globalstar boosts Sat Phone Network with 48 LEO's

by Media Services on 10 Apr 2007 LEO is not just a horoscope sign. It also means Low Earth Orbiting satellite. The telecommunications company Globalstar has just signed a contract to buy 48 of them.

What this will mean for mariners and remote area citizens and workers is a likely increase in coverage for satellite phones and better call quality in the long term. It also means that future data transfer services will be much faster.

Globalstar is a telecommunications company that specialises in satellite phones and mobile data services for marine users. They have just signed a contract with European satellite provider Alcatel Alenia Space (AAS). AAS will design and manufacture 48 LEOs. The 48 second generation LEOs will replace Globalstars existing constellation of 40 satellites.

Today’s LEO based mobile satellite constellations are beginning to show their age with service quality now dropping. To address this in the short term, Globalstar will spend a reported USD$110M this year to launch eight spare satellites and extend the life of the current constellation whilst the 48 new satellites are being built and launched.

The first four replacement satellites are expected to be launched next month.

‘Globalstar is investing over $110 million to launch these four satellites plus the remaining four ground spares that will augment two-way voice and data satellite service to our customers through the launch of our second generation constellation,’ said Jay Monroe, Chairman and CEO of Globalstar.

‘Our strong liquidity position permits us to launch these four first-generation satellites plus the remaining four later this year. It also paved the way for us to begin the manufacture of our second-generation constellation, which is vital in meeting the long term needs of our customers.’

The 48 second generation satellites are expected to have a life span of approximately 15 years. The first may be launched as soon as 2009 and will be expected to last to at least 2025. They are expected to have a significantly longer life expectancy than the existing constellation.

Space is an expensive business. The contract between Globalstar and AAL is reportedly worth 661 million euros. The bulk of the money will go towards design and manufacture of the LEOs. A smaller amount has been set aside for launching and later mission support services.

Jay Monroe commented on the advantages of launching a second generation of satellites.

‘A LEO constellation …continues to provide Globalstar with the capability to offer superior call quality and features such as path diversity, which leads to fewer dropped calls and virtually no signal latency or perceptible voice delay.’

A satellite system works by picking up a call signal from the earth. Several satellites pick up the same call signal. The reason for the duplication is so the call does not drop out if the phone moves out of range of one of the satellites.

The satellite then transmits the call to an earth based ‘gateway’. The gateway processes the call and then links up with existing fixed and cellular phone networks. In Australia these terrestrial networks include Telstra’s CDMA mobile network.

With the closure of the CDMA network planned for 2008, some Globalstar satellite phone features such as voicemail may be affected. Globalstar’s Australian Managing Director Peter Bolger commented on the future changes.

‘The Commonwealth Government is performing certain tests to ensure that the replacement NextG service being rolled out by Telstra has equivalent coverage to the CDMA service you have today before they approve the closure of the CDMA service…Your current Globalstar handset will continue to operate normally in satellite mode, and all other aspects of your Globalstar service will continue to be available for your use.’

‘Globalstar Australia remains committed to providing the best mobile satellite communications service possible. Over the next few years, the Globalstar satellite constellation will be upgraded through new satellites and ground based infrastructure, with new investments totaling in excess of $1.5B to deliver you a world class service. We will also continue to explore other opportunities to provide you with a dual mode satellite and cellular service.’

LEOs are placed in constellations because the area covered by a single LEO is relatively small. Therefore many satellites are required to provide continuous coverage. There are a number of reasons why the LEOs are preferred over other types of satellites for communication purposes.

Less energy is required to position them on this orbit. They don’t need extremely powerful amplifiers for successful transmission. And they have a speed advantage for broadband applications. Globalstar’s second generation satellite constellation should increase the speed of data transfer services available to marine users.

Globalstar’s current constellation provides coverage for marine users of up to 500nm into the Southern and Indian Oceans. Coverage also extends out to New Zealand and New Caledonia. The company’s Mobile everywhere® plan provides satellite phone coverage for a rate of 25c for 30 seconds. Incoming calls are charged at standard mobile phone call rates. There is no charge for incoming calls and you don’t need to have a separate phone number for satellite calls.

The Mobile everywhere® package includes internet access. So marine users should be able to access the internet, read e-email and download files while a significant distance off shore. Data transfer speeds of up to 38.4 kbps are available which is reportedly comparable to land based dial up internet speeds.

Mike Geissinger on board the sailing vessel North Star commented on their Globalstar system.

‘Some of my friends in Washington, DC covered the Gulf War in 1992 using the then latest satellite phone and this is a quantum leap forward from what they used. It becomes painfully obvious quickly how much of a boon to cruisers this can be. Several days ago a fairlead block broke.

'Jim was able to call Garhauer and order another. He had it sent to his house where his wife will bring it to the Azores when she comes later this month. He could have as easily had it shipped to a chandlery at Horta as well. The coverage across the Atlantic has been spotless…and voice is as clear as any cell phone.’

It is interesting to speculate how advances in the construction of satellites, and the launching of the 48 second generation LEOs, will affect the communication products available to tomorrow’s mariners.

Two things seem obvious. There is huge competition between local telecommunication companies, all battling for their share of the market. And communications technology is developing rapidly. It seems that Globalstar has their corporate eye firmly fixed on the evolution of new communication technologies.

They are willing to spend big now to ensure that they capture the markets of the future.

www.globalstar.com.au
www.globalstar.com