[12-07-07 – Satellite Today] Globalstar Inc. will take a 30 percent stake in a company that provides satellite voice and data services to parts of Africa, Globalstar announced Dec. 6.
    GlobalTouch West Africa Ltd. (GWAL) provides services to customers in Nigeria, the surrounding portions of Western Africa as well as parts of the coastal Atlantic and Gulf of Guinea maritime region. Under the agreement, GWAL will provide satellite two-way voice and duplex and simplex data services throughout the region using a new ground station in Kaduna, Nigeria.
    Globalstar currently provides limited satellite services coverage in Northern Africa via two European satellite gateways located in Turkey and France.
    "Today’s announcement is just another example of our ongoing international strategic commitment to further expand and improve Globalstar’s geographic satellite coverage for our roaming customers working in the region as well as future domestic Nigerian users", Tony Navarra, president of Global Operations for Globalstar, said in a statement. “."We are very pleased to be working with GlobalTouch as we continue to expand into new and what we expect to be economically viable markets. With Nigeria being rich in oil, natural gas and other remote natural resources, there is definitely potential demand for satellite voice and data services capable of operating in areas far beyond the reach of terrestrial and other wireless communications infrastructure."
    Financial details were not disclosed.