NATIVE CANADIAN COMMUNITIES TURN TO
GLOBALSTAR TO SOLVE REMOTE
COMMUNICATIONS ISSUES BUSINESS
EDITORS/TELECOMMUNICATION WRITERS NEW
YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--OCT. 24, 2000--
GLOBALSTAR SATELLITE PHONES
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 24, 2000--
Globalstar satellite phones are providing the only
communication link for communities in the far north
Globalstar (NASDAQ:GSTRF.O), the global mobile satellite phone
service, today announced that Globalstar Canada has sold more than 80
satellite handsets to the Kativik Regional Government in the Nunavik
Region of Northern Quebec in Canada, providing communities there with
their first form of reliable, consistent communication service.
"We have tried other satellite and communications systems, and the
Globalstar satellite service far exceeds them all," said Gordon
Cobain, Head of Administration, Kativik Regional Government. "Previous
communication systems provided poor voice quality and proved to be
unreliable. We were so impressed with the Globalstar service that we
have distributed two handsets to each of the fourteen remote
communities in the Nunavik Region."
The primary function of the satellite handsets is to provide a
reliable means of communication to communities that have traditionally
had essentially no telephone service and frequently relied on radio
communications. Each of the communities in the Nunavik Region have
designated one handset to their community council and one to the local
branch of the Canadian Rangers, who are responsible for the law
enforcement within these communities.
Due to land distance and rugged conditions in remote regions of
Canada, it is extremely costly and difficult to provide every Canadian
with telecommunication service. According to the Canadian
Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC), 100,000
Canadians have sub-standard residential telephone service, and more
than 20,000 Canadians still do not have access to basic phone service
- residential or cellular. With only 10 per cent of the country
covered by cellular service, the range of cellular phones in Canada is
also greatly restricted.
"Globalstar technology breaks down the barriers to communications
in remote and underdeveloped regions in many parts of Canada," said
Peter White, general manager of Globalstar Canada. "We have already
provided Globalstar service to 10 provincial governments and numerous
municipal organizations across the country. The Kativik regional
government's use of the Globalstar system aptly demonstrates the many
uses and value of our technology."
The Globalstar satellite phone has already proven its value to the
Nunavik region in an emergency situation. "Recently a forest fire
required the evacuation of more than 200 residents from one of our
communities," said Cobain. "Using the Globalstar handset, we were able
to coordinate the airlift of evacuees and avert a potential tragedy."
Globalstar's mobile satellite phone has also become an
indispensable business tool for Canadian resource industries such as
oil and gas, mining, forestry, fisheries and transportation
industries, various government departments, as well as remote
communities. The compact, light-weight unit make the Globalstar phone
an ideal communications solution for lodge owners, hikers, hunters and
fishers and anyone else in the leisure and outdoor industry. Because
of its reliable service, emergency response officials such as
firefighters, police officers and search and rescue personnel serving
remote communities are also looking to Globalstar for reliable,
quality communications.
Globalstar Canada is a partnership of Canadian Satellite
Communications (Cancom), Loral Space & Communications and Vodafone
Airtouch Plc. Globalstar Canada provides Globalstar services to
Canadian and worldwide subscribers through earth station gateways
located in Smiths Falls, Ontario and High River, Alberta. For more
information, visit Globalstar's web site at www.globalstar.ca or phone
1-877-SAT-PHONE (877-728-7466).
Globalstar, led by founding partner Loral Space & Communications,
is a partnership of the world's leading telecommunications service
providers and equipment manufacturers, including co-founder Qualcomm
Incorporated, Alenia, China Telecom (HK), DACOM, DaimlerChrysler
Aerospace, Elsacom (a Finmeccanica Company), Hyundai, TE.SA.M (a
France Telecom/Alcatel Company), Space Systems/Loral, and Vodafone
AirTouch. For more information, visit Globalstar's web site at
www.globalstar.com.
Loral Space & Communications (NYSE:LOR.N) is the managing partner
and, at 38 percent, is the largest equity owner of Globalstar. Loral
is a high technology company that concentrates primarily on satellite
manufacturing and satellite-based services, including broadcast
transponder leasing and value-added services, domestic and
international corporate data networks, global wireless telephony,
broadband data transmission and content services, Internet services,
and international direct-to-home satellite services. For more
information, visit Loral's web site at www.loral.com.
--30--mem/ny*
CONTACT: Globalstar
Mac Jeffery, 212-338-5383
KEYWORD: NEW YORK INTERNATIONAL CANADA
INDUSTRY KEYWORD: GOVERNMENT TELECOMMUNICATIONS
MARKETING AGREEMENTS
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