T-Mobile's Starlink service unveil at the Super Bowl isn't the only direct-to-sell satellite news this week.

Global Star, which provides the space-based emergency service for Apple's iPhones,

is tapping MDA Space to build the satellites for its next-gen communications constellation.

For MDA space, it's a contract worth about $770 million.

CEO Mike Greenlee says it represents new business. In addition to the work MDA Space is

already doing for Global Star and for Apple.

Our contract with them three years ago, which we're currently delivering on this year,

was to build 17 satellites with an option for nine more to expand their historical analog direct-to-device communications capability.

And that's for them to provide emergency services to smartphones, among other things.

And then this new contract is for a new constellation or constellation expansion

with much more capability to be able to use our MDA Aurora digital satellite product

with over 50 satellites. So great new operational enhancements for them in their space-based

networks for direct-to- directed device communications and presumably maybe some

internet of things at some point.

It all speaks to this new space-enabled era of more connectivity, more consistently, for more

places.

It's a dynamic evidenced by T-Mobile's splashy move to open its SpaceX Starlink beta service

to mobile users regardless of their carriers.

It's reflected in the build-out of AST Space Mobile's constellation, which will work with AT&T and Verizon.

And it's on display every time the satellite image pops up in the top right corner of an iPhone.

We talk about a third of the Earth of population not being available to be able to have data access right now, persistent data access. We'll all talk about our rural regions in a country like Canada, the northern regions, not being able to have access to communications. I think with all of the communication networks, we're going to have persistent, high-speed communications globally moving forward.

So there'll be multiple network providers that do that, Global Star being one of those.

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