Globalstar is taking its ground station expansion program to Estonia.

The Apple-backed satellite operator this week announced construction has commenced to double the size of its existing ground station in Estonia to support the expansion of its mobile satellite system and services.

The facility in Saarde was commissioned in 2021 after the construction of three six-meter tracking antennas and related infrastructure. The company is adding three additional six-meter antennas and associated infrastructure to support its third-generation C-3 mobile satellite system and expanded service offerings across Europe.

Globalstar has contracted with AS Connecto Infra to design and construct the ground station expansion, valued at approximately $9 million.

“Our ground station in Estonia, like our facilities in Greece, Spain, and France, are supporting critical communications, including emergency SOS services, to millions of people across Europe,” said L. Barbee Ponder, general counsel & VP of regulatory affairs for Globalstar. “These additional investments in Estonia and other expansions of our international ground stations support critical communications in areas where there are no terrestrial mobile networks and in situations where terrestrial mobile networks are disabled due to a natural disaster or man-made events.”

The expansion is part of a global initiative to deploy more than 90 additional tracking antennas supporting its third-generation C-3 mobile satellite system across 35 ground stations spanning 25 countries and territories.

Ground station expansion work has started at sites in Clifton, Texas; Singapore; Castilla La Mancha, Spain; Bihoro, Japan; Nemea, Greece; and High River in Alberta and Smiths Falls in Ontario, Canada.

“Globalstar is a good example of a company which provides innovative, vital telecommunication services in the region. It is also an acknowledgement that the Estonian business ecosystem is a good fit for such value chains. This expansion gives us confidence to further develop the space sector,” said Mihkel Kärg, regional investment consultant for the Estonian Entrepreneurship and Innovation Foundation.

Launched in 1991 as a joint venture of Loral Corporation and Qualcomm, Globalstar's first-generation constellation consists of 48 LEO satellites, with an additional four satellites in orbit as spares, while its second-generation comprises 24 machines.

Globalstar counts Apple as an investor, which uses the satellite firm's services to power some direct-to-cell services on its iPhones.

The satellite firm recently tapped Australian Edge data center firm DXN to deliver three prefabricated modules to Maui, Hawaii, by the end of 2025.

“We are pleased to support the growth of Globalstar’s ground station facility in Kilingi-Nõmme,” said Külli Karu, deputy mayor of Saarde municipality. “These facilities provide wireless communications via satellite to people across Europe who would otherwise be unconnected during times of emergency or crisis, and we are proud that Globalstar continues to rely upon our region for further investment in this infrastructure. It is important for the municipality to be a reliable partner and contribute actively to its success, thereby demonstrating that we are open to diverse investment proposals and are trusted partners.”

Globalstar this week said it would act on its HIBLEO-XL-1 filing, saying the new system will include numerous new satellites, orbital shells, and frequency bands beyond its existing licensed L, S, and C-Band frequencies.