Handheld satphone service provider Globalstar and AeroAstro, one of the world's leading providers of small satellites and related technology products, are developing a new, low cost data modem for remote sensing and asset tracking via satellite.

An initial demonstration of the new product is scheduled for late summer 2002.
The new modems will be part of a system that combines Globalstar's satellite communications network with AeroAstro's Sensor Enabled Notification System (SENS) technology, allowing sensing or tracking data to be sent from remote locations via satellite and over the Internet to the customer. These modems will provide businesses with an economic solution to remotely and automatically track the movement and condition of assets, such as shipping containers.
By sending data over the Globalstar satellite network and through SENS decoders at the Globalstar gateways, the modems will enable reliable data transmissions in real-time from locations far beyond the reach of any ground-based network -- a combination of features never before available in such a low-cost unit, according to the companies' announcement.
The Globalstar/AeroAstro basic modem unit is expected to be available in volume quantities for as low as $60, including the antenna, on an OEM basis. Implementation of the modem into an end user solution will normally include additional components, such as housing and sensors, at additional cost depending on the application. The new modem -- the size of a wireless pager -- will allow data to be sent at pre-set or random intervals from the modem over the Globalstar satellite network and then transmitted to the customer's data collection facility via the Internet.