Satellite specialist Globalstar handed the reins to ex-Qualcomm CEO Paul Jacobs (pictured) and inked a licensing deal with XCOM Labs, a business founded by the executive in 2018.

Jacobs takes over immediately from retiring Globalstar CEO David Kagan, who had been in charge since 2017.

He joins his new employer together with several members of XCOM’s senior team.

Alongside acquiring personnel from XCOM, Globalstar signed an exclusive technology licensing deal with the aim of boosting its terrestrial wireless offering to include new applications.

Globalstar currently provides satellite and terrestrial connectivity to enterprises and public sector organisations, including data transmission from its fleet of LEO birds.

Among its high profile contracts is for an Apple emergency messaging service.

XCOM researches and develops wireless technologies centred on enhancing 5G infrastructure and improving the performance of next-generation multimedia applications.

Their deal covers technology broadly under the “wireless spectrum innovation” umbrella, including XCOM’s coordinated multipoint radio system and its peer-to-peer connectivity IP.

The cost of the contract is around 60 million Globalstar shares, which had a market value of around $63.6 million based on stock market closing prices yesterday (28 August).

XCOM plans to sell some of these shares to fund ongoing operations.

Jacobs indicated among the opportunities of his new employer was to apply “new technology to enhance capacity of underappreciated spectrum”, adding the combination of assets and commercial agreements held by Globalstar with XCOM’s technology “creates a significant opportunity to deliver for private network customers with mission-critical needs”.

Movers
XCOM CTO Matt Grob and chief scientist Peter Black followed Jacobs to Globalstar, having both worked under the executive at Qualcomm.

The satellite company is also set to add XCOM VP of wireless Tamer Kadous and its VP of engineering Daaman Hejmadi to its ranks after a transition period.

Globalstar noted “these leading engineers are expected to help accelerate the company’s ongoing commercialisation” of satellite and terrestrial spectrum.