US mobile satellite co Globalstar planning earth station in SW Estonia

  • 2021-03-11
  • BNS/TBT Staff

TALLINN - The US mobile satellite voice and data services provider Globalstar is panning to set up an earth station in the territory of the Saarde municipality in southwestern Estonia, regional newspaper Parnu Postimees reported.

The municipality is expected to decide about the application for a construction permit at its meeting next week.

Globalstar, listed on the New York stock exchange, owns and operates low-earth orbit satellites, offering almost global coverage in communications solutions. 

The application for a construction permit to set up a mobile satellite communications earth station near the town of Kilingi-Nomme was filed with the municipality by Estonian construction company AS Merko Ehitus at the beginning of February. The design that serves as basis for the application for the construction permit has been prepared by the Globalstar subsidiary Globalstar Europe SAS.

The 2.3 hectare land plot on which the earth station is to be built was transferred by the municipality at the end of last year. 

Municipality mayor Andres Annast said that the design was presented to institutions of the Estonian state, whose remarks will be added to the terms contained in the construction permit. 

The planned earth station for the Baltic Sea region would be one of more than 20 connection points with satellites across the globe, ensuring the functioning of mobile satellite traffic covering all of Europe.

Globalstar's satellite communications solutions are used, among others, by government and public institutions of various countries in fields such as healthcare and the military. In civilian sector they are used in the maritime domain, construction and agriculture. 

According to the Saarde municipality government, the earth station will be made up of a control building and three dome antennas with a diameter of eight meters each standing on artificial mounds. The control station will be manned by at least two technicians.

The possibility that objects on the ground will be exposed to a dangerous energy level is precluded, as the parabolic antennas concentrate radio emissions in a narrow area and the emissions are always directed in a direction of at least 10 degrees from the ground, towards the satellite.