Nokia and Globalstar Partner to Deploy Digitalization Platform Utilizing 3GPP Band 53 Spectrum

COVINGTON, La.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 11, 2019-- Globalstar, Inc. (NYSE American: GSAT), a leading provider of mobile satellite voice and data services, today announced its partnership with Nokia. The Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) sweeping steadily across the African continent highlights the increasing need for solutions that are tailored for, and compatible with, the digital transformation journey of enterprises across many vertical domains. The need for high capacity, low latency and secure connectivity that is easy to deploy in multiple sites, and often across national borders, poses a real challenge. One of the key enablers is spectrum for local deployments combined with an appropriate automation platform.

Globalstar and Nokia have developed an innovative solution, which allows enterprises to deploy intelligent network applications in a dedicated spectrum band. It is based on Nokia’s industrial-grade private wireless Digital Automation Cloud platform together with Globalstar’s 3GPP Band 53 spectrum. The solution will be showcased at the Globalstar stand at AfricaCom, at the Cape Town International Convention Centre on 12 – 14 November 2019.

“Providing private LTE/4.9G solutions to organizations and countries require spectrum, and this is where we come in,” says Barbee Ponder, Globalstar General Counsel and Vice President of Regulatory Affairs. “We have globally-harmonized spectrum that we utilize for our Mobile Satellite Services (MSS), and we are currently obtaining administration-specific authorizations globally to provide terrestrial LTE services in this band – which happens to be a perfect fit for Nokia’s private LTE/4.9G offering.”

Both companies successfully collaborated on the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) process to standardize this specific band of spectrum, which has been designated as Band 53. Their strategic alliance further expands the opportunities for both Globalstar and Nokia in terms of development, innovation and application across countries, industries, and use cases. Nokia is already offering Band 53 access points and User End Devices (UED’s) such as modems, ruggedized handsets and tablets.

In its bid to develop a harmonized utilization of Band 53 for terrestrial private LTE/4.9G deployments across the African continent, Globalstar has secured rights from the authorities in South Africa, Mozambique, Gabon, Botswana, and Rwanda.

“In Africa alone, our terrestrial authorizations span more than 1.1 million square miles of territory, covering a population larger than 100 million people,” says Ponder. “We have obtained terrestrial LTE authority over our entire 16.5 MHz of S-band spectrum with permissible power limits for both macro and small cell deployments.”

The Globalstar MSS solutions provide complementary connectivity to end-user assets and employees when outside of the Nokia Digital Automation Cloud network in remote areas, such as mining installations, or oil, gas, and energy sites. This ideal 4IR/IoT partnership allows both companies to introduce powerful digitalization solutions to the African market, that can be adapted for use across multiple industries. Band 53 enables the deployment of comprehensive solutions that can cover all operational requirements regardless of location.

“We are delighted to collaborate with Globalstar in order to support the digitalization of business in Africa, helping them connect more things than ever before, such as sensors, cameras, drones, tablets, and phones, and apply real-time analytics to their data. High capacity data transfer and on-premise computing capabilities ensure efficient and secure digital automation, for large and small enterprises, indoors and outdoors, and in both urban and remote areas,” says Shkumbin Hamiti, Head of Ecosystem and Partnerships, Nokia Digital Automation.

As the partnership evolves, Globalstar and Nokia anticipate the expansion of their commercial relationship to create new opportunities for business. As they continue to pursue harmonization in Band 53, customers will be able to deploy a device ecosystem that operates seamlessly across locations, which will redefine the communications landscape for 4IR.

“Now that Nokia has become an authorized value-added reseller (VAR), they will be able to tailor solutions for individual customers and provide critical connectivity for assets and people when operating also outside of the secure private wireless coverage provided by Nokia,” concludes Ponder.

About Nokia

We create the technology to connect the world. We develop and deliver the industry’s only end-to-end portfolio of network equipment, software, services and licensing that is available globally. Our customers include communications service providers whose combined networks support 6.1 billion subscriptions, as well as enterprises in the private and public sector that use our network portfolio to increase productivity and enrich lives.

Through our research teams, including the world-renowned Nokia Bell Labs, we are leading the world to adopt end-to-end 5G networks that are faster, more secure and capable of revolutionizing lives, economies and societies. Nokia adheres to the highest ethical business standards as we create technology with social purpose, quality and integrity. www.nokia.com

About Globalstar, Inc.

Globalstar is a leading provider of customizable Satellite IoT Solutions for customers around the world in industries such as oil and gas, transportation, emergency management, government, maritime and outdoor recreation. A pioneer of mobile satellite voice and data services, Globalstar provides businesses to streamline operations by connecting people to their devices, supplying personal safety and communication, and automating data to more easily monitor and manage mobile assets via the Globalstar Satellite Network. The Company's Commercial IoT product portfolio includes the industry-acclaimed SmartOne™ asset tracking products, Simplex satellite transmitters and the SPOT® product line of personal safety, asset and communication devices, all supported on SPOT My Globalstar, a robust cloud-based back office solution. Completing the satellite product suite are Duplex satellite data modems, the innovative Sat-Fi2® satellite Wi-Fi hotspot, and the Sat-Fi2 Remote Antenna Station with all product solutions offering a variety of data service plans. Learn more at Globalstar.com.

Note that all SPOT products described in this press release 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. SPOT Gen3 is a trademark of Spot LLC. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

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Source: Globalstar, Inc.

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