Globalstar Expands Capabilities with Opening of New Satellite Operations Control Center in Covington, Louisiana

COVINGTON, La.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Mar 18, 2025--

Globalstar, Inc., (Nasdaq: GSAT) (“Globalstar” or the “Company”), a next-generation telecommunications infrastructure and technology provider, announces the grand opening of its state-of-the-art Satellite Operations Control Center (“SOCC”) at its headquarters in Covington, La., on March 17. This milestone marks a significant expansion of Globalstar’s operational capabilities and reinforces the Company’s strategic growth as it advances next-generation satellite and connectivity solutions.

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The grand opening event was attended by notable representatives and local dignitaries, including House Majority Leader Steve Scalise and FCC Chairman Brendan Carr. The event featured live music and a selection of Louisiana cuisine, offering attendees a taste of the region’s rich culinary heritage while marking the occasion with local flair.

“We are grateful to Leader Scalise and Chairman Carr for celebrating this significant milestone with Globalstar,” said Dr. Paul E. Jacobs, Globalstar CEO. “This expansion underscores Globalstar’s mission to deliver innovation and industry leading solutions, as well as our commitment to the state of Louisiana, the local workforce and regional economy.”

The SOCC represents a pivotal investment in Globalstar’s future, enabling enhanced satellite fleet management, improved network performance, and preparation for new satellite constellations that will further solidify the company’s leadership in global satellite communications.

Globalstar has been headquartered in Covington, La., since 2010, and the SOCC opening continues to establish the region as a center of technological innovation. Over 60 percent of Globalstar’s employee base is local, with plans to hire 75 new positions from Louisiana by the end of the year.

About Globalstar, Inc.

Globalstar empowers its customers to connect, transmit, and communicate smarter – easily, quickly, securely, and affordably – offering reliable satellite and terrestrial connectivity services as an international telecom infrastructure provider. The Company’s low Earth orbit ("LEO") satellite constellation ensures secure data transmission for connecting and protecting assets, transmitting critical operational data, and saving lives for consumers, businesses, and government agencies across the globe. Globalstar’s terrestrial spectrum, Band 53, and its 5G variant, n53, offer carriers, cable companies, and system integrators a versatile, fully licensed channel for private networks with a growing ecosystem to improve customer wireless connectivity, while Globalstar’s XCOM RAN product offers significant capacity gains in dense wireless deployments. In addition to SPOT GPS messengers, Globalstar offers next-generation internet of things ("IoT") hardware and software products for efficiently tracking and monitoring assets, processing smart data at the edge, and managing analytics with cloud-based telematics solutions to drive safety, productivity, and profitability. For more information, visitwww.globalstar.com.

Dr. Paul Jacobs, Globalstar CEO; Jay Monroe, Globalstar Chairman; Leader Steve Scalise; Chairman Brendan Carr of the FCC; Barbee Ponder, Globalstar VP Legal & Regulatory Affairs; at the grand opening ceremony for the Globalstar Satellite Operations Control Center in Covington, Louisiana.

Leader Steve Scalise; Chairman Brendan Carr of the FCC; Barbee Ponder, Globalstar VP Legal & Regulatory Affairs; Dr. Paul Jacobs, Globalstar CEO discuss Globalstar satellite replica during the Grand Opening ceremony of Satellite Operations Control Center.

Rebecca Clary, Globalstar CFO; Dr. Paul Jacobs, Globalstar CEO; Jay Monroe, Globalstar Chairman; Leader Steve Scalise; Chairman Brendan Carr of the FCC; Barbee Ponder, Globalstar VP Legal & Regulatory Affairs; and Wen Doong, SVP Engineering, cut the ribbon at the grand opening ceremony for the Globalstar Satellite Operations Control Center in Covington, Louisiana.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is meeting with oil executives at the White House on Friday in hopes of securing $100 billion in investments to revive Venezuela’s ability to fully tap into its expansive reserves of petroleum — a plan that rides on their comfort in making commitments in a country plagued by instability, inflation and uncertainty.

Since the U.S. military raid to capture former Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro on Saturday, Trump has quickly pivoted to portraying the move as a newfound economic opportunity for the U.S., seizing tankers carrying Venezuelan oil, saying the U.S. is taking over the sales of 30 million to 50 million barrels of previously sanctioned Venezuelan oil and will be controlling sales worldwide indefinitely.

On Friday, U.S. forces seized their fifth tanker over the past month that has been linked to Venezuelan oil. The action reflected the determination of the U.S. to fully control the exporting, refining and production of Venezuelan petroleum, a sign of the Trump administration's plans for ongoing involvement in the sector as it seeks commitments from private companies.

It's all part of a broader push by Trump to keep gasoline prices low. At a time when many Americans are concerned about affordability, the incursion in Venezuela melds Trump’s assertive use of presidential powers with an optical spectacle meant to convince Americans that he can bring down energy prices.

The meeting, set for 2:30 p.m. EST, will be open to the news media, according to an update to the president's daily schedule. “At least 100 Billion Dollars will be invested by BIG OIL, all of whom I will be meeting with today at The White House,” Trump said Friday in a pre-dawn social media post.

Trump is set to meet with executives from 17 oil companies, according to the White House. Among the companies attending are Chevron, which still operates in Venezuela, and ExxonMobil and ConocoPhillips, which both had oil projects in the country that were lost as part of a 2007 nationalization of private businesses under Maduro’s predecessor, Hugo Chávez.

The president is meeting with a wide swath of domestic and international companies with interests ranging from construction to the commodity markets. Other companies slated to be at the meeting include Halliburton, Valero, Marathon, Shell, Singapore-based Trafigura, Italy-based Eni and Spain-based Repsol.

Large U.S. oil companies have so far largely refrained from affirming investments in Venezuela as contracts and guarantees need to be in place. Trump has suggested on social media that America would help to backstop any investments.

Venezuela’s oil production has slumped below one million barrels a day. Part of Trump's challenge to turn that around will be to convince oil companies that his administration has a stable relationship with Venezuela’s interim President Delcy Rodríguez, as well as protections for companies entering the market.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum are slated to attend the oil executives meeting, according to the White House.

Meanwhile, the United States and Venezuelan governments said Friday they were exploring the possibility of r estoring diplomatic relations between the two countries, and that a delegation from the Trump administration arrived to the South American nation on Friday.

The small team of U.S. diplomats and diplomatic security officials traveled to Venezuela to make a preliminary assessment about the potential re-opening of the U.S. Embassy in Caracas, the State Department said in a statement.

Trump also announced on Friday he’d meet with President Gustavo Petro in early February, but called on the Colombian leader to make quick progress on stemming flow of cocaine into the U.S.

Trump, following the ouster of Maduro, had made vague threats to take similar action against Petro. Trump abruptly changed his tone Wednesday about his Colombian counterpart after a friendly phone call in which he invited Petro to visit the White House.

President Donald Trump waves as he walks off stage after speaking to House Republican lawmakers during their annual policy retreat, Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)