Lynk Global Signs Satellite-to-Cell Contract with US DoD

A rendering of Lynk’s satellite-to-cell concept. Photo: Lynk Global

Lynk Global signed a contract with the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) to provide commercial satellite-to-cell services to the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and other U.S. government agencies. Lynk Global announced the contract on April 25. 

Lynk refers to its service, which connects standard phones directly to satellite as “sat2phone.”

Under the contract, the DoD, DHS, and other U.S. government agencies can commercially purchase Lynk’s sat2phone services for the next five years, with possible extensions to the contract of five more years. The award is part of DISA’s Proliferated Low-Earth Orbit (PLEO) Satellite-Based Services program, which announced a number of awards last year to establish commercial communications for military use. The full program value, including all vendors, is worth up to $900 million.

Services available under the contract include SMS text messaging, emergency cell broadcast alerts, and LynkCast weather & information broadcast services.

Charles Miller, Lynk co-founder and CEO, said the DoD has been field testing Lynk’s technology for several years. 

“We are deeply grateful for the trust that the DoD has given to Lynk with their decision to give us the first-ever sat2phone contract.” Miller said. “This contract will enable the nearly 3 million men and women in the DoD to use the existing phone in their pockets to stay connected everywhere.” 

“Lynk will enable U.S. government agencies to access life-saving emergency communications to help the American people when terrestrial mobile networks are non-existent or have failed. DISA and the U.S. Space Force will save lives through the Proliferated Low Earth Orbit (PLEO) contract vehicle,” said Margo Deckard, Lynk’s co-founder and COO.