Launched in 1991 as a joint venture of Loral Corporation and Qualcomm, Globalstar now builds and operates worldwide, low-earth orbit (LEO) satellite-based digital telecommunications systems. The company is a leading provider of mobile satellite voice and data services.
Globalstar announced last week that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) placed Globalstar’s requested notice of proposed rulemaking on circulation for consideration by the full Commission.
Submitted in August, Globalstar’s request hopes to improve the resiliency of mobile wireless communication networks. “Essentially, if the FCC grants our petition, Globalstar can increase the nation’s Wi-Fi capacity by no less than 33% very quickly,” said L. Barbee Ponder, Globalstar’s General Counsel and Vice President Regulatory Affairs.
“A portion of Globalstar’s satellite spectrum is adjacent to the public Wi-Fi band at 2.4 GHz. Currently, there are only three public Wi-Fi channels available, Chs. 1, 6 and 11. In many urban areas, these channels are now saturated with use – the “Wi-Fi Traffic Jam.” Globalstar has the ability to “open up” a fourth 22 MHz channel under the existing IEEE 802.11 standard, Channel 14.”
“We are very pleased that the FCC is moving forward with Globalstar’s requested rulemaking,” said Ponder. “With hundreds of millions of Wi-Fi devices now being sold annually, only Globalstar’s proposed Terrestrial Low Power Service (TLPS) can provide an immediate solution to help alleviate existing Wi-Fi congestion. We look forward to expeditious action and new Commission rules permitting Globalstar to offer truly innovative terrestrial mobile broadband services including TLPS over its licensed spectrum.”
For more information, visit Globalstar.com.