Inmarsat extends capacity and offers free use of satellites to underpin relief efforts in the wake of Hurricane Katrina

The weight of Inmarsat's expertise and resources has been placed behind the Hurricane Katrina relief effort, with additional satellite capacity and free call credits made available for agencies striving to help survivors in the stricken southern states.

This was sparked by a surge in the use of the Inmarsat mini-M and Global Area Network (GAN) services in the wake of the hurricane that devastated much of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and western Florida.

Inmarsat offers on-demand mobile satellite telephone connections and high-speed data links that are completely independent of the normal fixed-line and cellular networks. These become indispensable to relief workers during a major crisis when the conventional communications infrastructure has been crippled.

To support the overwhelming need for basic telecommunications services after Hurricane Katrina, Inmarsat has been offering free use in the disaster zone of its mini-M services, from 12:00 GMT on Sunday, September 4, until 12:00 GMT on Sunday, September 11.

Distribution partners and customers were being informed about how to take advantage of the free use credit facility.

The number of mini-M calls made by civilian emergency services, the military and the media climbed steeply during the first few days after the disaster.

And Inmarsat Global Area Network (GAN) Mobile ISDN services - mainly used for video-conferencing services - also rose significantly.

In response to the surge in demand, Inmarsat has reallocated satellite capacity to make additional channels available in the disaster zone, ensuring that users of both systems experience the best possible levels of service to support them in their missions.

Hurricane Katrina, one of the worst natural disasters ever to hit the USA, swept at up to 140mph across the southern states on August 29, causing thousands of deaths and making millions homeless.

During the early days of the crisis, Inmarsat was used successfully by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to establish videoconferencing links in the disaster zone.

According to reports from the service provider, the DHS customs and border control team experienced flawless performance while streaming video over lengthy periods, sometimes up to five hours long.

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