Thailand’s National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission gave US-based satellite service provider Globalstar a green light to operate a ground station, enabling it to deliver nationwide mobile services.

The ground station is located at Thaicom’s teleport centre in Pathum Thani province, north of Bangkok.

Globalstar VP of regulatory affairs L. Barbee Ponder stated the station joins 27 others in 17 countries and makes it the first company in Thailand to have authorisation to deliver services via a constellation of low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellites.

Ponder added the offering includes emergency SOS communications serving hundreds of millions of people globally.

Thaicom CEO Patompob Suwansiri said the partnership is “a strategic move in expanding our portfolio of cooperation with a leading global LEO operator, which will complement our existing satellite services”.

Patompob added their shared experience will deliver advanced satellite services for the digital era and “lay the foundation for a long-term relationship and sustainable growth in the satellite industry in this region”.

Thaicom operates four satellites.

In December 2022, Gulf Energy Development through a subsidiary acquired a 41.1 per cent stake in Thaicom from InTouch, the largest shareholder of Thai mobile operator AIS.