Chinese fishing vessels equipped with Mini C terminals

2,500 Chinese fishing vessels to be equipped with Inmarsat

22-08-2008 - A total of 2,500 Chinese fishing vessels are to be equipped with Inmarsat Mini C terminals in the first stage of a landmark deal backed by the Chinese government.

The contract is the first to be awarded as part of the Chinese Zhejiang project, which seeks to equip a total of 16,000 Chinese fishing vessels with satellite-based safety and communication services by the end of 2009.

First provinceThe project is being developed to allow vessels to report their locations and appeal for emergency help, receive navigation maps and automatic warnings when they cross bordering territory.

Inmarsat distribution partner MCN is one of four providers picked to bid for the project offering Inmarsat's Mini C service and Thrane & Thrane 3026S terminals.

Zhejiang Province was the first of 11 Chinese provinces to choose the services and providers it would prefer for its vessels - and opted for MCN.

Quality serviceHe Huiliang, a deputy director general of MCN, said: "We have been working on this project for the last three years and we are very proud to have been chosen by Zhejiang Province.

"Inmarsat won the major portion of the project because it was able to offer both a stable and good quality service and hardware terminals.

"We hope to win further parts of the contract and our technical team is developing messaging terminals to support SMS using Chinese characters -which is a future requirement of the project."

Successful Inmarsat I4 Launch

Successful launch for third Inmarsat-4 satellite

19-08-2008 - Inmarsat (LSE:ISAT), the leading provider of global mobile satellite communications services, has confirmed the successful launch and acquisition of the third Inmarsat-4 satellite.

The satellite was launched on a Proton Breeze M rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at 11:43pm BST on 18 August (4:43am 19th August, local time). Inmarsat's tracking station in Fucino, Italy was able to track the satellite while it was still coupled to the Breeze M launch vehicle. Launch provider ILS confirmed successful spacecraft separation at 8:46am BST on 19 August.

The satellite is the third in the I-4 constellation, concluding a decade of development and a US$1.5 billion investment. The current constellation of two Inmarsat-4 satellites delivers mobile broadband services to 85 per cent of the world's landmass, covering 98 per cent of the world's population. The third I-4 will complete the global coverage for Inmarsat's broadband services.
Global coverageAndrew Sukawaty, chief executive and chairman of Inmarsat, said: "The Inmarsat-4s are the world's most sophisticated commercial network for mobile voice and data services, and the successful launch of the third I-4 allows us to complete the global coverage for our broadband services. Once the third I-4 is operational, Inmarsat will have the only fully-funded next-generation network for mobile satellite services."

The Proton Breeze M is one of the few launch vehicles capable of lifting the I-4 satellite - the size of a London double-decker bus and weighing six tons - into geostationary transfer orbit. The I-4 F3 satellite will now undergo a period of deployment and several weeks of comprehensive tests and manoeuvres before being positioned in geostationary orbit at 98º West.

Inmarsat satellites are currently relied on by the world's shipping, oil exploration, defence and aviation industries to service their communications needs. Inmarsat is also the communications channel of choice for the media when reporting from the world's danger zones and for NGOs, government agencies and the United Nations when coordinating rescue efforts.

Launch of third I-4 spacecraft

The Final Countdown

Mobile broadband coverage of the world will move a step closer with the forthcoming launch of the third and final Inmarsat-4 (I-4) satellite.

The launch is now scheduled for 22:43 UTC on 18 August on board a Proton M rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

The new date was announced following a short delay caused by a fault discovered during testing of the Proton.

Geostationary orbitThe Proton M will carry the Inmarsat-4 F3 into geostationary orbit at 35,786km (22,240 miles).

Once tested and operational, the I-4 F3 will be provide satellite phone and mobile broadband services to North and South America at 98 degrees west.

And together with its two sister satellites, already in orbit, the completed constellation will deliver full and seamless global coverage for our entire range of broadband mobile satellite services.

BGAN for First Responders

US disaster recovery tests BGAN for first responders

31-07-2008 - First responders at a major disaster recovery exercise in California observed how Inmarsat's BGAN can enhance their operations.

Operation Golden Phoenix 2008 took place over four days near San Diego, California, and involved many responders from local, state and federal agencies.

The training exercise tested the US Federal Emergency Management Agency's 'all hazards' approach to disaster recovery - using every level of government to collaborate to achieve a common objective.

Vital mappingInmarsat airtime distribution partner Stratos and service provider Fortified DataCom demonstrated the use of BGAN for the creation of a mobile command post - both for vehicular communications on the move and for hand-portable land mobile communications.

The US Marine Corps, Federal Customs and Border Patrol, The Red Cross and a number of California state and local agencies were shown how Fortified's geographical information system provides key data via Inmarsat BGAN that can help responders manage reaction times and priorities during a real disaster.

Inmarsat's director of army programmes, Sal Manno, said: "Golden Phoenix included a technology demonstration area where first responders could explore cutting-edge data management tools.

"BGAN was deployed successfully in this environment, showing how a wide variety of applications could be used with BGAN land portable and land mobile (COTM) terminals."

TV Network Uses BGAN

TV network uses BGAN across Philippines' 7000 islands

05-08-2008 - The largest TV network in the Philippines is now relaying news - from the 7,000 islands that make up the country - via Inmarsat's BGAN service.

ABS-CBN has adopted an industry-leading newsgathering solution from Inmarsat partner Streambox to expand and enhance its news coverage.

The network provides news and current affairs to viewers across the Philippines archipelago and to major news agencies around the world

Faster newsMaria Ressa, senior vice-president for ABS-CBN news and current affairs, said:

"News logistics are a challenge in a country of more than 7,000 islands.

"The Streambox newsgathering solution enables us to deploy smaller teams to cover breaking news and deliver stories faster.

"In addition, the scalability of the software-based solution will help us expand easily and deliver content across multiple platforms simultaneously.

Easy to use"As a result, we can deliver high-quality news more efficiently today and grow our operations as demand increases."

She added: "The Streambox solution is easy to set up and use, and it integrates seamlessly with our existing systems.

"Deploying the solution to our mobile reporting teams helps us deliver high quality news quickly, reliably and at a lower cost."

Bob Hildeman, chairman and chief executive of Streambox, said: "We are pleased that our IP-centric solution has enabled the broadcaster to enhance its news distribution over a variety of broadcast and broadband platforms."