SPOT SATELLITE DEVICES REACH MAJOR MILESTONE WITH 5,000 RESCUES WORLDWIDE
Apr 24, 2017
30% of all SPOT rescues worldwide have been initiated in Canada.
MISSISSAUGA, ONTARIO–(Marketwired – April 19, 2017) – Globalstar Canada Satellite Co., a wholly owned subsidiary of Globalstar Inc. (NYSE:GSAT) and a leader in satellite messaging and emergency notification technologies, announced today that its SPOT family of products has surpassed the milestone of initiating 5,000 rescues since its launch in 2007. These rescues have taken place on six continents and in over 89 countries. 30% of SPOT rescues around the world have been initiated in Canada (1,500 rescues and counting).
SPOT provides affordable location-based messaging and a lifesaving S.O.S. service to hundreds of thousands of users worldwide including campers, hikers, fishermen, snowmobilers, hunters, motorcyclists and those who enjoy outdoor adventures and travelling off-the-grid. SPOT users have the ability to track assets, use location-based messaging and get help when beyond cellular coverage.
1,500+ SPOT rescues initiated in Canada
In Canada, SPOT has been used to initiate more than 1,500 rescues since 2007. The majority of these rescues have taken place in British Columbia (41%), followed by Alberta (17%), the North including Yukon, Northwest Territories and Nunavut (17%), Quebec (13%) and Ontario (12%). SPOT rescue incidents in Canada primarily involve hiking and mountain sports, boating and water sports, motor vehicle and medical incidents. In 2016, the SPOT family of products set a new safety record in Canada with 274 rescues.
There are more than 65,000 SPOT customers in Canada who use the technology for recreational and business applications, including compliance with lone worker safety legislation and minimizing the risks for employees working in remote areas. According to the National Search and Rescue Secretariat, Canada is comprised of 18 million square kilometres of land and water1. This area covers 243,800 kilometres of coastline, 3 oceans and 3 million lakes including the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence River system. With one of the world’s largest areas of responsibility for search and rescue, there are 8 million square kilometres in Canada which fall outside the reach of traditional cellular and GSM networks2.
Recent worldwide rescues initiated with SPOT include a woman in Canada who was involved in a snowmobile accident and was airlifted after suffering severe injuries; a lone worker in the U.S. who pressed the SOS button on SPOT after suffering from a seizure while on a logging job site; and a man in Switzerland who was transported to a hospital via helicopter after a skiing accident. More stories from some of the thousands of rescues initiated by SPOT are available online, searchable by region.
“For nearly a decade, we have dedicated ourselves to offering affordable, lifesaving technology that people can rely on,” said Jay Monroe, Chief Executive Officer of Globalstar. “We are proud that SPOT has been universally accepted as the leader in satellite messaging and that we have been able to provide peace of mind to families, co-workers and loved ones worldwide. This 5000 rescue milestone is a result of the hard work put in by the entire team at Globalstar, our partners at GEOS and the Search and Rescue community.”
SPOT customers are currently initiating nearly two rescues a day. SPOT excludes test messages, false alarms, lost or stolen units and duplicate messages from rescue count.
The centerpiece of the SPOT family is the award-winning SPOT Gen3™, a global, satellite GPS messenger that provides on or off-the-cellular-grid messaging, emergency alerts, and GPS tracking. SPOT Trace™ is a theft-alert satellite device that can track anything, anytime, anywhere including cars, snowmobiles, boats or other valuable gear. For more information on SPOT Gen3 and SPOT Trace, including pricing, promotions and dealer locator, visit FindMeSPOT.ca.
To view rescue information in more detail, download this new Infographic which breaks down worldwide incidents by region and activity.
About Globalstar
Globalstar is a leading provider of mobile satellite voice and data services. Customers around the world in industries such as government, emergency management, marine, logging, oil & gas and outdoor recreation rely on Globalstar to conduct business smarter and faster, maintain peace of mind and access emergency personnel. Globalstar data solutions are ideal for various asset and personal tracking, data monitoring, SCADA and IoT applications. The Company’s products include mobile and fixed satellite telephones, the innovative Sat-Fi satellite hotspot, Simplex and Duplex satellite data modems, tracking devices and flexible service packages.
Note that all SPOT products described in this press release are the products of SPOT LLC, which is not affiliated in any manner with Spot Image of Toulouse, France or Spot Image Corporation of Chantilly, Virginia. SPOT Connect is a trademark of SPOT LLC. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
For more information regarding Globalstar Canada Satellite Co., please visit www.globalstar.ca.
1Source: Public Safety Canada, Quadrennial Search and Rescue Review, Dec. 2013. (section II, Executive Summary).
2Source: This stat was calculated based on the CRTC’s estimate that cell coverage extends to 20% of Canada and that Canada’s total land mass is 9.98 million square kilometers. CRTC report, section 5.5 “Wireless networks cover approximately 20% of Canada’s geographic land mass”
