A U.K.-based company has launched its mobile broadband satellite service to
North and South America,allowing the use of data and voice simultaneously
almost anywhere in the world.
Powered by Inmarsat, the Broadband
Global Area Network (BGAN) uses Inmarsat-4 (I-4) satellites, which are in orbit
over Brazil and the Indian Ocean. BGAN is accessible across 85 per cent of the
world's landmass and to 98 per cent of the population. The service allows
mobile users to connect to corporate networks, email and the Internet at speeds
of up to 492 Kbps per device and make telephone calls at the same time.
“This is the first mobile communication service of any kind to do
so,” said Drew Brandy, business development manager at Inmarsat in a
Webcast of the announcement. “(BGAN) lets you set up a broadband office
in minutes.”
Inmarsat has been working with customers over the past 18 months on a beta test
project for the BGAN network. Customer verticals include the media, military,
oil and gas and aid. CNN, BBC and CBC are currently using BGAN. The Globe and
Mail is a BGAN rental customer of Roadpost,
which provides the satellite service. Inmarsat is also looking at adapting its
solution to other sectors including construction, insurance, retail, finance
and civil government.
This level of availability will help businesses address what Wesley Robb,
product manager for Roadpost, a satellite service provider, says is the number
one issue for remote workers -- coverage.
“Users require connectivity when and where they need it,” he
said.
The network can also be redeployed in real-time to areas of high service demand.
Another key issue for remote workers is portability, said Robb.
“Globalization means that individuals are travelling across the country or
around the world from one day to the next,” he said. “They need a
solution that they can bring with them when they travel.”
In the past, Robb said high bandwidth satellite equipment was bulky or sent
prior or after users had arrived and couldn't be moved from one location to the
next easily.
Users can choose from three terminals: WorldPro 1000, Explorer 600 and HNS 9201,
which can be connected to their devices via cable, Ethernet or Bluetooth
wireless. To access the network, users can download Inmarsat's software tool
that provides a graphical interface from which they can choose what function
they want.
Many remote workers are using these devices in rugged environments and in
countries where terrestrial networks are unreliable, making reliability of the
network another key issue, said Robb. Other parts of the globe such as Central
America, Africa and Western Europe don't have the same infrastructure as North
America. Remote areas in North America are often operating on antiquated
technology.
To ensure reliability, the satellite looks for other channels when it reaches 80
per cent capacity, said Brandy.
“The system prevents voice and data services from contending with one
another for capacity,” he said.