Inmarsat BGAN poised for launch across North and South America

The world will benefit for the first time from seamless mobile broadband coverage when Inmarsat's pioneering BGAN service launches shortly in North and South America.

Mobile users will be able to connect to corporate networks, e-mail and the Internet at broadband speeds - and make telephone calls at the same time - wherever they are on the planet.

BGAN is accessed using a small, highly portable satellite terminal, which is quick to set up and easy to use for anyone who wants dependable, secure broadband access when traveling.

With the launch of the service across the Americas, from Alaska and the North West Territories all the way to Tierra Del Fuego, the global availability of BGAN finally brings to fruition Inmarsat's vision of Broadband for a mobile planetTM.

Powered by Inmarsat's new generation of Inmarsat-4 (I-4) satellites - positioned in geostationary orbit over Brazil and the Indian Ocean - BGAN will soon be accessible across an impressive 85 per cent of the world's landmass and to 98 per cent of the world's population.

At launch in North America, BGAN is aimed at business and government users who need to set up a broadband mobile office within minutes wherever they go.

Staff can work collaboratively and wirelessly, making simultaneous voice and broadband data connections, before packing up and moving on in the time it takes to stow a laptop PC and BGAN satellite terminal. In fact, owning a BGAN device is like carrying around a WiFi hotspot in your briefcase.

Commenting on how BGAN's unique capabilities will benefit the Americas, Andy Sukawaty, chairman and chief executive of Inmarsat, said: "The Americas are a highly important market for us. We expect to sell a high percentage of BGAN terminals and airtime in North America, not only to use overseas, but also for use in the US market itself, in sectors such as civil government, homeland security and utilities."

According to Frank August, Inmarsat's regional director for North America, BGAN's introduction will fill in the coverage gaps left by the far more limited terrestrial networks.

"If you look at cellular, terrestrial broadband and wireless broadband networks across North America today, you see that many urban areas are well served, but that rural areas often have little or no coverage," he explains.

"Global mobile broadband has been a critical missing piece for those on the edge of terrestrial networks, so there is massive potential for the new BGAN service to fill the gaps and bring broadband to a new audience."

Based in Inmarsat's Washington DC bureau, Frank August believes BGAN will also play an important role in homeland security and crisis management following lessons learned in the wake of Hurricane Katrina last year.

"The agencies responsible for maintaining utilities struggled to cope with the loss of telephone and cellular networks after the hurricane, which made the situation worse," says August.

"There's little doubt that if BGAN had been available at the time of Katrina it could have been an important tool for the relief agencies."

BGAN's capabilities mean it will play an equally important role in South America, says Inmarsat's regional director for Latin America, Svante Hjorth. Although more than 60 per cent of the region's gross domestic product is concentrated in Brazil and Mexico, even these countries have vast areas with little or no telecoms coverage.

"Much of the region has underdeveloped telecommunications, so the potential demand for mobile broadband is significant," says Hjorth.

"However, the market is more price sensitive than North America. This is because, in some countries, incomes are lower and there can be high import taxes and landing costs for satellite equipment.

"Fortunately, the cost of BGAN terminals and airtime is highly competitive. In many instances, BGAN airtime is actually cheaper than international voice and GPRS roaming on cellular networks."

Archives: (2005 ) / (2006)