The State of Idaho recently awarded a contract to World Communications Center (WCC) to provide Iridium(R) satellite communications for government agencies throughout the state. WCC won the contract under a blanket purchasing contract with the Western States Contracting Alliance (WSCA). WCC was awarded a three-year contract in March 2007 from the Utah Division of Purchasing and General Services, acting as agent for the WSCA, to be the exclusive supplier of Iridium satellite products and services for 15 Western states. Greg Ewert, Executive Vice-President of Iridium Satellite, noted "Idaho and other states are discovering that Iridium's fully meshed low-earth-orbit satellite network provides an unbeatable value proposition of ubiquitous gap-free coverage and reliable connectivity, offering an important utility for government agencies in supplying vital public services to their citizens." Ewert added, "Most of the Western states have large expanses of sparsely populated territory with limited landline and wireless coverage. Iridium is the only mobile satellite service that provides universal coverage over this entire area, including the far northern regions of Alaska." The WSCA includes Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington and Wyoming. It was formed in October 1993 by the purchasing directors from 15 western states.
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