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Globalstar

Globalstar phones look and act like mobile or fixed phones with which you're familiar. The difference is that they can operate virtually anywhere, carrying your call over an exceptionally clear, secure Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) satellite signal.

Like "bent-pipes", or mirrors in the sky, the Globalstar constellation of 48 Low Earth Orbiting (LEO) satellites picks up signals from over 80% of the Earth's surface, everywhere outside the extreme polar regions and some mid-ocean regions. Several satellites pick up a call, and this "path diversity" assures that the call does not get dropped even if a phone moves out of sight of one of the satellites.

As soon as a second satellite picks up the signal and is able to contact the same terrestrial gateway, it begins to simultaneously transmit. If buildings or terrain block your phone signal, this "soft-handoff" prevents call interruption. The second satellite now maintains transmission of the original signal to the terrestrial "gateway".

Additional advantages of using Low Earth Orbiting satellites within the Globalstar system include no perceptible voice delay and lighter / smaller all-in-one phones. Gateways process calls, then distribute them to existing fixed and cellular local networks. Terrestrial gateways are an important part of Globalstar's strategy to keep key technology and equipment easily accessible and to integrate our services as closely as possible with existing local telephony networks. This makes the Globalstar system and its services simple to manage, expand and improve.

The Globalstar system is designed to provide high quality satellite-based telephony services to a broad range of users:

Cellular users who roam outside of coverage areas
People who work in remote areas where terrestrial systems do not exist
Residents of under-served markets who can use Globalstar's fixed-site phones to satisfy their needs for basic telephony
International travelers who need to keep in constant touch

The Globalstar system offers a multitude of services:

One phone for both cellular and satellite calls
Voice Calling
Short Messaging Service (SMS)
Global Roaming
Facsimile
Data Transmission

Globalstar's constellation of 48 Low Earth Orbiting (LEO) satellites transmits calls from your Globalstar wireless phone or fixed phone station to a terrestrial gateway, where they are passed on to existing fixed and cellular telephone networks in more than 100 countries on 6 continents.