Partner Profile: Globalstar
Category: LEO Satellite Connectivity / Hardware Manufacturer Key Contact: Alessandro Allgayer (Sales Manager South America) Origin: Networking / MWC Follow-up (Meeting May 7, 2026)
Overview
Globalstar operates a Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite constellation. Unlike the emerging 3GPP NTN players (Sateliot, Skylo), Globalstar uses a proprietary, well-established simplex and duplex protocol. They are highly active in Brazil and Argentina, providing connectivity for "blind spots" in the agriculture and oil & gas sectors.
Strategic Importance
Globalstar is a primary candidate for the Leader Node (Collar) backhaul, especially as a reliable, commercially available alternative to the still-maturing 3GPP NTN constellations.
Key Technical Assets:
- ST100 Module: A small, low-power, "button-sized" satellite transmitter. It is one of the most successful modules for livestock tracking globally.
- SmartOne Solar: A field-proven tracking device that utilizes energy harvesting. Can serve as a reference design for our Leader Node.
- Proprietary Spectrum: Globalstar owns its spectrum, which simplifies roaming and deployment logistics compared to terrestrial-dependent NB-IoT solutions.
Technical Alignment for FluxCow
- Leader Node Backhaul: The RM200M Module is a strong candidate for bidirectional communication in our Leader Nodes, offering a competitive volume price ($70.00 @ 5K+ units).
- Regional Dominance: Globalstar's gateway in Brazil/Argentina provides low-latency, reliable coverage for the Mercosur region.
- Hybrid Strategy: We are assessing if we should support Dual-Satellite (NTN + Globalstar) for maximum redundancy in mission-critical traceability.
Market Data & Pricing (As of May 2026 - FOB Miami)
Simplex Hardware (One-Way)
| Device | 1-249 units | 250-499 units | 500+ units |
|---|---|---|---|
| Integrity 150 | $235.00 | $225.00 | $215.00 |
| SmartOne Solar | $225.00 | $215.00 | $205.00 |
| SmartOne C | $85.00 | $80.00 | $75.00 |
Bidirectional Hardware (Two-Way)
| Device | 1-499 units | 500-999 units | 1,000-4,999 units | 5,000+ units |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RM200M Module | $85.00 | $80.00 | $75.00 | $70.00 |
| RM200M Dev Kit | $359.00 | (Any Qty) |
Connectivity Plans (Monthly)
- Simplex VAR 1 (4 msgs/day): ~$1.50
- Simplex VAR 12: $5.00
- Simplex VAR 100: $7.00
- Simplex VAR 144: $9.50
- Simplex VAR Unlimited: $15.50
- Activation fee applies ($20.00 per unit).
Interaction History
- 2026-05-08: Email from Alessandro Allgayer with NDA and full pricing catalog (FOB Miami). Proposed follow-up via TEAMS/WhatsApp.
- 2026-05-07: Initial meeting to discuss hardware integration (ST100) and regional airtime.
Next Steps
- [ ] Verify the NRE (Non-Recurring Engineering) cost for integrating the RM200M/ST100 module into our Zephyr-based collar design.
- [ ] Compare the "Total Cost of Ownership" (TCO) of Globalstar Simplex vs. 3GPP NB-IoT NTN (Sateliot/Skylo).
- [ ] Request sample RM200M Dev Kit for lab benchmarking.