Satellite direct-to-cellular service provider Lynk announced today that it has signed a five-year contract with the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) to enable U.S federal agencies to purchase its services for unmodified smartphones over the next five years.
Lynk explained in a release that the U.S. government, including the U.S. Department of Defense, Department of Homeland Security and other agencies which use satellite services, purchases them through DISA. Lynk’s DISA contract covers an initial period of five years, with another five-year extension possible.
Lynk services available under the contract include text messaging, emergency cell broadcast alerts and weather and information broadcast services through Lynk’s LynkCast service.
“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,” said Margo Deckard, Lynk’s co-founder and COO. “DISA and U.S. Space Force will save lives through the Proliferated Low Earth Orbit (PLEO) contract vehicle.”
DISA issued the PLEO solicitation in 2022 and 20 companies have received awards under the contract vehicle. Lynk says it is the only form thus far which has received a contract for satellite-to-phone connectivity.
“The U.S. Department of Defense 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,” said Lynk co-founder and CEO Charles Miller. “This contract will enable the nearly three million men and women in the DoD to use the existing phone in their pockets to stay connected everywhere. No matter what happens.”
