Globalstar today announced that, in partnership with Broadband Botswana Internet (BBi), construction has commenced on a Globalstar gateway in Gaborone, Botswana.
This gateway will provide Globalstar's full line of Simplex services, including its SPOT line of affordable personal tracking and life-saving solutions, as well as its line of commercial Simplex tracking and monitoring solutions.
Expansion Plans
Globalstar anticipates that this gateway will be operational by the end of this year. By this time, it will provide coverage across southern Africa, including the following countries and surrounding blue-ocean areas: Botswana, South Africa, Namibia, Mozambique, Tanzania, Madagascar, Swaziland, Lesotho, Malawi, Angola, Zimbabwe, Rwanda, Burundi and Zambia. The gateway significantly extends Globalstar's coverage in sub-Saharan Africa. Therefore, this will allow Globalstar to provide a near-global service offering for SPOT and Simplex services.
Sub-Saharan Africa represents a significant new market opportunity and will serve a region with increasing demands for affordable connectivity. Globalstar's satellite services have a limited wireline telecommunications network and a highly fragmented cellular infrastructure. Therefore, they can provide a compelling solution for seamless tracking, monitoring and emergency services. Globalstar will initially target mining and oil & gas applications, personal assets, commercial trucking and animal tracking markets.
Jay Monroe, Chairman and CEO of Globalstar:
"We believe that southern Africa is a significant untapped market for our traditional MSS solutions. So we thank our partner at BBi for all of their efforts to make this opportunity a reality. Whether you are going to southern Africa on a safari, work assignment, or to perform humanitarian work, the ability to let your friends, family or colleagues know that you are "ok". Also, being able to summon emergency assistance if you are not, will be only a button-push away. Additionally, for the first time, people and industries in the local area will have access to affordable satellite solutions for personal and asset tracking. Therefore, we look forward to bringing this service live in just a few months."
