Globalstar Names XCOM Labs Founder Paul Jacobs as CEO

Globalstar, an international telecom infrastructure provider, has named Paul Jacobs as its new CEO.

Jacobs, the founder and CEO of XCOM Labs and former CEO and executive chairman of Qualcomm, brings a wealth of wireless industry experience and a proven track record of fostering innovation-led growth to his new role at Globalstar, the company said in a Tuesday (Aug. 29) press release.

Globalstar supports Apple’s satellite-text service that powers its emergency-communications capabilities, The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported Tuesday. This system, Emergency SOS, allows iPhone 14 models to send messages via satellite when outside cellular range.

During his tenure as CEO of Qualcomm from 2005 to 2014, Jacobs increased the company’s revenues from $5.7 billion to $25.7 billion, while also adding approximately $50 billion to its market capitalization, according to the release. With his extensive expertise, Jacobs is well-positioned to drive Globalstar’s strategic initiatives and develop solutions across terrestrial and satellite platforms for customers worldwide.

In conjunction with Jacobs’ appointment, Globalstar has entered into a strategic perpetual licensing agreement with XCOM Labs, the release said. This agreement grants Globalstar exclusive access to key XCOM technologies and personnel, including XCOM’s commercially available coordinated multipoint radio system, XCOMP. XCOMP offers substantial capacity gains and other advantages in challenging wireless environments.

Additionally, Globalstar will gain access to XCOM’s peer-to-peer connectivity technologies, which have potential applications across cellular and satellite devices.

“I have devoted my career to advancing and commercializing innovation in wireless technology and am thrilled to continue this journey as CEO of Globalstar,” Jacobs said. He envisions significant opportunities in combining Globalstar’s terrestrial spectrum and partnerships with XCOM’s differentiated technology to deliver innovative solutions for customers with mission-critical needs.

Globalstar Executive Chairman Jay Monroe emphasized Jacobs’ leadership and technological expertise, adding that he believes that Jacobs and the XCOM team will break new ground and accelerate Globalstar’s growth across satellite and terrestrial assets.

Several senior executives from XCOM Labs, including Matt Grob, chief technology officer, and Peter Black, chief scientist, have joined Globalstar, according to the release. These experienced engineers, along with other XCOM technologists, will contribute to Globalstar’s ongoing commercialization efforts and drive innovation in both satellite and terrestrial spectrum areas.

These moves come at a time when SpaceX and T-Mobile are collaborating to develop satellite-to-cell service that will enable users to send text messages and images from areas that are currently in traditional networks’ dead zones.