GLOBALSTAR SERVICE PROVIDER ELSACOM WINS 20 MILLION EURO ITALIAN GOVERNMENT CONTRACT TO PROVIDE SATELLITE VOICE AND DATA SERVICES
Service Provider Will Provide Globalstar Satellite Services to Italian Public Administrators and Various Local Levels of GovernmentMILPITAS, Calif., (December 6, 2005) – Globalstar LLC, the world's most widely used handheld satellite phone provider and a leading supplier of high-value satellite voice and data services to business, announced today that its independent gateway operator and service distributor in Central and Eastern Europe, Elsacom, has won a 20 million Euro contract to provide mobile satellite telephone services to various levels of the Italian government.
Under the agreement, Elsacom will provide Globalstar satellite voice and data services plus it will supply and maintain the customer’s Globalstar mobile satellite handsets. The pairing will give local Italian government agencies a latest-generation communication system providing coverage throughout Italy. Users will be able to access a cost effective, reliable and secure telephone solution in areas not served or underserved by traditional landline or wireless services, even during times of emergencies.
Traditional communications systems are often unable to provide support to civil protection agencies during exceptional events and disasters such as the 2003 nation-wide blackout in Italy or the recent hurricanes that struck the gulf coast of the United States. Satellite communication represents a solution with the capability to operate during such occurrences.
"Elsacom has played a central role in boosting our global customer reach and we are excited to join with them by providing satellite network solutions for this important contract," said Jay Monroe, Chairman and CEO of Globalstar LLC.
This agreement represents another in a series of positive corporate and gateway operator announcements for the satellite service provider in 2005. Earlier this year Globalstar completed the purchase of several new simplex data appliqués for installation by various gateway operators plus the company finalized a development and manufacturing agreement with Qualcomm to provide the next generation of satellite handsets to its corporate customers and independent distributors around the world.
About Elsacom
Elsacom, a Finmeccanica subsidiary specializing in telecommunications, offers a wide-ranging portfolio of fixed and mobile satellite services. These services can be applied to fields as diverse as telephony, data transmission, global positioning, automated goods transport management, high-speed internet connection and satellite video links. Elsacom is an independent gateway operator of Globalstar for which it acts as distributor in many European countries.
