Globalstar Partner TE.SA.M. Wins Key Licenses
Gateway Construction in Progress in Several Countries

SAN JOSE, California — January 27, 1998 — Globalstar partner TE.SA.M has been awarded licenses in Argentina, Venezuela, Colombia, Peru and Turkey, and is actively engaged in siting gateways in these nations. This brings the number of countries where Globalstar is licensed to operate to 24.

Globalstar is a low-Earth-orbit (LEO) satellite-based telecommunications system that will offer low-cost, high quality global telephony, data, fax, and position location services to areas currently underserved, or not served by existing wireline and cellular telecommunications systems. More than 40 of the 48 Globalstar satellites will be launched in 1998, with service beginning in 1999.

Users of Globalstar will make or receive calls using hand-held or vehicle-mounted terminals similar to today's cellular telephones. Because Globalstar will be fully integrated with existing fixed and cellular telephone networks, Globalstar's dual-mode handset units will be able to switch from conventional cellular telephony to satellite telephony as required. In remote areas with little or no existing infrastructure, users will make or receive calls through fixed-site telephones similar to either phone booths or ordinary wireline telephones.

TE.SA.M. (Telecommunications par Satellites Mobiles) is an exclusive service provider for Globalstar services in 24 countries, mainly located in Latin America, Europe and Africa. TE.SA.M, jointly owned by France Telecom (51%) and Alcatel (49%) is forming partnerships with local operators and investors who will act as distributors of Globalstar services when the system is operational in early 1999.

Globalstar's service provider in Argentine, TE.SA.M. Argentina, initiated construction of a gateway in Bosque Allegre (near Cordoba). The Argentine Minster of Telecommunications officially laid the gateway's foundations stone. In addition to its call routing function, the gateway will serve as one of Globalstar's six planned Telemetry Command Unit (TCU) sites. The TCU gateways help track and manage the Globalstar satellite constellation.

Globalstar's service provider in Colombia, TE.SA.M Colombia S.A., has also been awarded service and gateway licenses. Headquartered in Santafe de Bogata, TE.SA.M Colombia S.A. is majority owned by Telecom Colombia (51%), with the remaining 49% owned by TE.SA.M France. Telecom Colombia (Empresa Nacional de Telecomunicaciones) is the government-owned entity that provides national telecommunications services in Colombia. TE.SA.M. Colombia plans to install and operate a Globalstar gateway in Choconta (located 150 km north east of Bogota.)

CONATEL, the regulatory Authority in Venezuela, has granted the operating license for services in Venezuela to TE.SA.M. de Venezuela, a subsidiary of TE.SA.M France. TE.SA.M. de Venezuela will be responsible for constructing and operating Venezuela's gateway. The Chamatagua, Venezuela site is due to be completed by the end of 1998.

In Peru, TE.SA.M. Peru has been granted authorization by the MTC (Ministerio de Transportes y Communicaciones) to construct a gateway in Lurin (100km from Lima). Globalstar services in Peru will begin in 1999.

Globalstar's service provider in Turkey, TE.SA.M. T.U.R.K., has been awarded service and gateway licenses by Turk Telekom, the telecommunications operator in Turkey. TE.SA.M. T.U.R.K., a subsidiary of TE.SA.M. France (51%), and of the Turkish company DELTA (49%), has begun construction of a Globalstar gateway at Ogulbey, near Ankara.

Globalstar, led by Loral Space & Communications, is a partnership of the world's leading telecommunications service providers and equipment manufacturers, including QUALCOMM Incorporated, AirTouch Communications, Alcatel, Alenia, DACOM, Daimler-Benz Aerospace, Elsag Bailey, France Telecom, Hyundai, Space Systems/Loral and Vodafone. Globalstar, through its strategic partnership, has service provider agreements in 105 countries. For more information, visit Globalstar's web site at <http://www.globalstar.com>.

# # #

回首页全球星介绍新闻 技术特点合作伙伴与我们联系产品与服务