GSTRF--(VOD) Verizon Wireless Donates Satellite Phones and Service to San Diego County Sheriff Department for Search and Rescue Operations
BUSINESS WIRE - May 01, 2000 21:04
SAN DIEGO, May 1, 2000 (BUSINESS WIRE) --
Satellite Phones and Service Available to Consumers Statewide
Verizon Wireless today announced a donation of Globalstar satellite phones and a year's worth of free satellite and cellular airtime to the San Diego County Sheriff Department.
The tri-mode phones, which offer satellite as well as digital and analog cellular service, will provide emergency communications assistance for the department's Search and Rescue unit, supplementing existing two-way radio communication in remote locations, such as the many mountainous areas within San Diego County.
Verizon Wireless also announced that Globalstar satellite service and satellite phones are available to consumers in California at select Verizon Wireless retail stores.
The San Diego County Sheriff Department Search and Rescue Unit consists of more than 210 volunteers who donate their time to assist in the search for injured people, as well as hikers, campers, tourists and curiosity seekers who have become lost or overtaken with fatigue, dehydration, heat or cold.
In 1999, 13 of the total 14 searches conducted by the unit were in areas with minimal or non-existent cellular service.
"San Diego County extends almost 100 miles from border to border, and includes very rugged mountainous terrain where cellular phone service is unavailable," said Ron Reina, special assistant to the Sheriff, Public Affairs, in the San Diego County Sheriff Department.
"Therefore, the phones donated by Verizon Wireless will help bridge communication between operational units and saving time when coordinating different Search and Rescue team elements. Satellite phones will help facilitate long discussions on search strategies without tying up the radio channel used by field personnel."
Four California County Sheriff Departments have received the donated phones and airtime from Verizon Wireless and Globalstar, including Los Angeles, Orange, San Diego and Sacramento counties. Valued at more than $14,000, the donation was announced today at a press conference hosted by the Orange County Sheriff Department in Santa Ana, Calif.
"By providing satellite phone service to the San Diego Sheriff's Department, we are taking an important step toward enhancing the Search and Rescue communications capabilities when responding to emergencies in remote locations where two-way radio communication and traditional wireless service may not be available," said Verizon Wireless Southwest Area President Brian Shay.
"The satellite phones and service will allow the Sheriff Department's Search and Rescue team to communicate with hospitals, paramedics, fire departments and other team members during a crisis."
Globalstar satellite service was launched in the United States on Feb. 28, 2000. The service expands the wireless coverage area by using Qualcomm Globalstar GSP-1600 tri-mode phones that can be switched from digital cellular and analog service to the Globalstar satellite network when users move between coverage areas.
Communication is provided by a system of 48 satellites that works as a supplement to ground-based analog and digital cellular networks.
The satellite phones used for the Globalstar service offer more than 3.5 hours of talk time and/or nine hours of standby time in satellite mode, or 4.5 hours of talk time and/or 72 hours of standby time in digital cellular mode.
The Globalstar satellite phones are now available for a suggested retail price of $1,499.99 at Verizon Wireless's Costa Verde retail store, 8650 Genesee Ave., Suite 246, San Diego. The phones may also be purchased at Verizon Wireless retail stores in Santa Monica, Irvine, Corona, City of Industry, Sacramento, Stockton, Redding and Chico, Calif., and Reno, Nev.
Service plans begin at $29.99 per month, plus $1.69 per minute, or $99.99 per month with 50 bundled minutes included. In addition, new customers who activate Globalstar service between April 1 and May 31, 2000, will receive 30 percent off access and domestic airtime through July 15, 2000.
About Globalstar USA
Globalstar USA (GUSA), an indirect Vodafone AirTouch Plc. subsidiary, has exclusive rights to sell Globalstar satellite service in the United States and is responsible for building the satellite gateways, interconnecting with the public phone network, development and management of billing and customer care systems, sales, product distribution and marketing.
For more information visit Globalstar USA's Web site at www.globalstarusa.com.
About Globalstar
Globalstar L.P., led by founding partner Loral Space & Communications, is a partnership of the world's leading telecommunications service providers and equipment manufacturers, including Qualcomm Inc., Alcatel, Alenia, China Telecom (HK), DACOM, DaimlerChrysler Aerospace, Elsacom (a Finmeccanica company), France Telecom, Hyundai, Space Systems/Loral and Vodafone AirTouch Plc.
For more information, visit Globalstar's Web site at www.globalstar.com. Globalstar service is already available in 37 countries, and is planning to introduce service in more than 80 countries by the end of the year.
About Verizon Wireless
Verizon Wireless is the largest wireless communications provider in the United States, with more than 16 million wireless voice and data customers and nearly 4 million paging customers. The new coast-to-coast wireless provider was formed by the combination of the U.S. wireless businesses of Bell Atlantic Corp. (NYSE:BEL) and Vodafone AirTouch Plc (LSE:VOD; NYSE:VOD).
The new company includes the assets of Bell Atlantic Mobile, AirTouch Cellular, PrimeCo Personal Communications and AirTouch Paging. Verizon Wireless will be further strengthened by the addition of the wireless assets of GTE Corp. (NYSE:GTE) when it completes its merger with Bell Atlantic.
When the merger is complete, the new company will have a footprint covering more than 90 percent of the U.S. population, 49 of the top 50 and 96 of the top 100 U.S. markets.
Verizon Wireless, with headquarters in New York City and Bedminster, N.J., is 30,000-employees strong. Reporters and editors can find more information about the company in its Media Center on the Web at: verizonwireless.com.
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