Metering SatMagic

Globalstar, Inc. (Nasdaq:GSAT) has announced that Globalstar USA, LLC has signed a distribution or sales representative agreement with Hamilton Associates of Arvada, Colorado.

Hamilton will represent Globalstar while distributing Globalstar’s recently launched satellite-based remote automated utility meter reading interface (MRI) solution, designed to communicate with meters located in areas not served by terrestrial wireless or the public landline telephone system. According to the contract, Hamilton will act as the sales representative or selling agent for the Globalstar MRI series of data products and provide promotional, merchandising and training support for customers located in Montana, Wyoming, Utah, Colorado, Arizona and New Mexico. The MRI product provides utility companies with a way to communicate with remote CI (commercial and industrial) utility meters using the Globalstar satellite network substituting for the public telephone network. The MRI transmits and receives information between the meter and the utility company backoffice host system. The MRI provides a way to manage and collect meter data while eliminating the need for, and the costs associated with, sending workers into remote and sometimes hazardous areas just to read a utility meter. This can result in increased productivity and workplace safety while decreasing the high costs associated with remote meter-reading fleet management. Because utility companies typically only require a few minutes each day to collect and transmit information, the Globalstar Duplex data network can easily provide a highly reliable and cost effective data collection and command execution solution.

The new Globalstar MRI module is designed for use with ANSI C12.18, 19, and 21 compliant products. It is housed in a robust water-resistant housing and can be installed on a utility meter that is located in a remote location. When usage or load information of a meter is required, the utility backoffice initiates a PSTN call to the remote meter’s modem after referencing the Globalstar OSAT satellite availability tool. The server communicates with the utility meter as if the meter were connected to a standard public telephone line. The Globalstar MRI module is now available in the United States and Canada. The product is also expected to be launched in other countries later this year.