Globalstar CEO Dr. Paul E. Jacobs noted that Skydio is one of the most innovative drone companies and their public safety mission requires reliable connectivity.
Globalstar's licensed rights to Band n53 allow the spectrum to be reserved for specific uses, supporting predictable and secure connectivity for testing and deployment.
Globalstar reports that XCOM RAN delivered deterministic performance, high uplink throughput, and stable links in dense or challenging environments during the trial.
Skydio was able to integrate Band n53 using an existing module already supported within Globalstar’s ecosystem.
The validation of the trial positions Globalstar beyond the emergency SOS market associated with its Apple partnership.
Globalstar’s spectrum can support the demanding uplink requirements of autonomous drones, including reliable command and control and real-time streaming video.
Globalstar and Skydio completed a technology trial that integrates satellite-licensed spectrum into drone operations.
The success of the trial relied on Band n53, which is a dedicated mid-band spectrum licensed to Globalstar, and the XCOM RAN architecture.
The trial validated the compatibility of Skydio’s X10 drones with Globalstar’s licensed Band n53 spectrum and its XCOM RAN private 5G platform.
AST, Lynk, Starlink, and Globalstar have demonstrated direct links to standard smartphones under real-world conditions.
Mobile satellite service players like Globalstar, Lynk, and Omnispace rely on L- and S-band allocations for IoT and messaging.
Satisfactory satellite service providers include ViaSat, Iridium, Intelsat/SES, EchoStar/Hughes, and Globalstar/Apple.
Nine satellites for Globalstar are in final satellite integration and test work and are scheduled for delivery in early 2026.
The satellites for Globalstar were originally expected to launch by the end of 2025.
MDA Space signed a second contract with Globalstar in February 2025 valued at $1.1 billion to build an initial constellation of 50 MDA AURORA software-defined digital satellites.
MDA Space is facing supply chain delays on the Globalstar customer program and its CHORUS constellation.
The growth in Satellite Systems revenue was driven by the ramp-up of the Telesat Lightspeed program and the Globalstar next-generation LEO constellation program.
The second contract with Globalstar has come under scrutiny due to speculation that Globalstar might sell itself, possibly to SpaceX.
MDA Space is also building a next-generation constellation for Globalstar's direct-to-device operations.
MDA Space's first contract with Globalstar, signed in 2022, is for supplying 17 satellites to replenish Globalstar's constellation and is facing delays.