RESTON, Va., Jan. 29 /PRNewswire/ -- Mobile Satellite Ventures (MSV) announced today the appointment of Drew Caplan, a 25-year veteran of the telecommunications industry, to the position of Chief Network Officer. Mr. Caplan will be responsible for MSV's network engineering and technology functions, as well as leading the development and deployment of MSV's next generation network.

"Drew brings to MSV an outstanding reputation for technical leadership and knowledge of the wireless market," said Alexander H. Good, Vice Chairman, and CEO of MSV. "During his tenure at Nextel, Drew consistently demonstrated his ability to develop and operationalize a best-in-class network capable of providing innovative products and services."

"I am delighted to join the MSV team, and excited about the opportunity to create a network that represents a significant step forward over the legacy networks of existing carriers," said Caplan. "Such benefits can include greater bandwidth, cost efficiencies, and features enabled by an all IP end to end network with an open architecture. Moreover, the flexibility and functionality MSV will provide to product developers will encourage and support a breadth of new applications and services development."

Prior to joining MSV, Mr. Caplan served as Vice President of National Network Services at Nextel Communications from November 1996 to August 2005, where he developed and delivered Nextel's new services and handsets, engineered and operated significant portions of the Nextel's nationwide network, and managed all of Nextel's partner carriers. His achievements there included the deployment of Nextel's nationwide and international push-to-talk services, and the launch of the first US nationwide wireless packet data network and the first wireless location services capability.

Prior to joining Nextel, Caplan served in progressive engineering, operations, and product development roles in MCI Communications from 1983 to 1995. He was a founding member of MCImetro, MCI's CLEC startup, in 1993, overseeing the launch of their first 20 switched services markets, and authored and delivered significant portions of MCI's testimony in state and federal hearings surrounding the Telecommunications Act of 1996. Mr. Caplan holds a BS (Cum Laude Honors) in Economics, with Computer Science and Mathematics concentrations, from Georgetown University.

About SkyTerra Communications, Inc. and Mobile Satellite Ventures

MSV is developing a hybrid satellite-terrestrial communications network, which it expects will provide seamless, transparent and ubiquitous wireless coverage of the United States and Canada to conventional handsets. MSV holds the first FCC license to provide hybrid satellite-terrestrial services. MSV plans to launch two satellites for coverage of the United States and Canada, which are expected to be among the largest and most powerful commercial satellites ever built. When completed, the network is expected to support communications in a variety of areas including public safety, homeland security, aviation, transportation and entertainment, by providing a platform for interoperable, user-friendly and feature-rich voice and high-speed data services. MSV is majority owned and controlled by SkyTerra Communications, Inc. (BULLETIN BOARD: SKYT) .

http://www.msvlp.com/ Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act

This press release may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act, which respect to plans described in this press release. Such statements generally include words such as could, can, anticipate, believe, expect, seek, pursue, proposed, potential and similar words. Such forward-looking statements are subject to uncertainties relating to the ability of SkyTerra and MSV to raise additional capital or consummate a strategic transaction, as well as the ability of SkyTerra and MSV to execute their business plan. We assume no obligation to update or supplement such forward-looking statements.

CONTACT: Khristyn Brimmeier of Mobile Satellite Ventures,
+1-202-530-4584, Khristyn.Brimmeier@bm.com

Web site: http://www.msvlp.com/