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Tag: satellite

  • Jio Platforms Ltd and SES partner to deliver high-performance satellite-based broadband across India

    Jio Platforms Ltd and SES partner to deliver high-performance satellite-based broadband across India

    Jio Platforms Limited, India’s leading digital service provider, and SES, a leading global satellite-based content connectivity solutions provider, announced the formation of a joint venture – Jio Space Technology Limited – to deliver the next generation scalable and affordable broadband services in India leveraging satellite technology. JPL and SES will own 51% and 49% equity stake in the joint venture respectively. The joint venture will use multi-orbit space networks that is a combination of geostationary (GEO) and medium earth orbit (MEO) satellite constellations capable of delivering multi-gigabit links and capacity to enterprises, mobile backhaul and retail customers across the length and breadth of India and neighbouring regions.

    The joint venture will be the vehicle for providing SES’s satellite data and connectivity services in India, except for certain international aeronautical and maritime customers who may be served by SES. It will have availability of up to 100 Gbps capacity from SES and will leverage Jio’s premiere position and sales reach in India to unlock this market opportunity. As part of investment plan, the joint venture will develop extensive gateway infrastructure in India to provide services within the country. Jio, as an anchor customer of the joint venture, has entered into a multi-year capacity purchase agreement, based on certain milestones along with gateways and equipment purchase with total contract value of circa US $100 million.

    The joint venture will leverage SES-12, SES’s high-throughput GEO satellite serving India, and O3b mPOWER, SES’s next-generation MEO constellation, to extend and complement Jio’s terrestrial network, increasing access to digital services and applications. Jio will offer managed services and gateway infrastructure operations services to the joint venture.

    As Covid-19 has demonstrated, access to broadband is imperative for full participation in the new digital economy. This joint venture will be a catalyst for connecting the unconnected areas within India and the region to the full range of digital services, offering access to remote health, government services, and distance learning opportunities.

    Akash Ambani, director of Jio, said, “While we continue to expand our fibre-based connectivity and FTTH business and invest in 5G, this new joint venture with SES will further accelerate the growth of multigigabit broadband. With additional coverage and capacity offered by satellite communications services, Jio will be able to connect the remotest towns and villages, enterprises, government establishments, and consumers to the new digital India. We are excited about this new journey combining our massive reach and customer base with SES’s innovative leadership and expertise in the satellite industry.”

    Steve Collar, CEO of SES said, “This joint venture with JPL is a great example of how SES can complement even the most extensive terrestrial networks to deliver high-quality connectivity, and positively affect the lives of hundreds of millions of people. We look forward to this joint venture whereby we can play a role in promoting digital inclusion in India.”

    The joint venture also aligns with the hon’ble prime minister’s ‘Gati Shakti: National master plan for multi-modal connectivity’ initiative to provide integrated and seamless connectivity by implementing diverse infrastructure. It will also accelerate the achievement of the Connect India goals in the 2018 National Digital Communications Policy and the Digital India programme by expanding broadband connectivity to Indian citizens across Indian geography.

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  • Inmarsat successfully launched new commercial communications satellite

    Inmarsat successfully launched new commercial communications satellite

    Inmarsat has successfully launched its first Inmarsat-6 satellite, I-6 F1, by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) from the JAXA Tanegashima Space Center in Japan.

    The Inmarsat-6s (I-6) are Inmarsat’s first-ever hybrid L- and Ka-band satellites, incorporating increased capacity and new technological advances for ELERA’s transformational L-band services alongside additional Global Xpress (GX) high-speed broadband capacity. Adding to an existing global fleet of 14 geostationary satellites they extend Inmarsat’s commitment to mission-critical services while enabling a new generation of pioneering technologies to connect and sustain the world.

    This launch is the first of seven planned for Inmarsat by 2024 in the company’s fully-funded technology roadmap. Launch success was confirmed by MHI at 15:59 UK time on 22 December following satellite separation from the H-IIA launch vehicle, with successful signal acquisition soon afterward.

    The most sophisticated commercial communications satellite ever launched, I-6 F1 is comparable in size to a London double-decker bus, with a deployed solar arrays ‘wingspan’ similar to a Boeing 767 and a 9 meter wide L-band reflector that will be deployed over the coming days. The satellite will then be raised to geostationary orbit (GEO) approximately 36,000km (~22,500 miles) above the Earth via its all-electric propulsion system and then undergo a thorough and extensive testing program. I-6 F1 will enter service in 2023. Ground stations in Western Australia will support I-6 F1.

    Rajeev Suri, CEO of Inmarsat, said, “This launch marks Inmarsat’s newest technological leap forward as we maintain our strong commercial momentum and sector leadership. It gives me great pleasure and pride to confirm the successful launch of I-6 F1. This satellite extends our world-leading mobile satellite communications services for our customers and partners, especially in the Indo Pacific region. My warmest thanks and congratulations go to the Inmarsat team that delivered flawlessly on this project as well as our launch provider Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and our satellite manufacturing partner Airbus Defence and Space.”

    The I-6 satellites demonstrate Inmarsat’s ongoing investment and commitment to its global leadership in L-band satellite services to 2040 and beyond for the benefit of mobility customers worldwide. They deliver an enhanced platform for those looking to embrace the next wave of world-changing technologies that ELERA enables, including the rapidly growing Industrial Internet of Things (Industrial IoT) satellite connectivity market segment, by providing dramatically increased network capacity and resilience.

    These new capabilities from the I-6s mean greater capacity and coverage, greater speeds and a greater portfolio of innovative connectivity solutions for ELERA and Global Xpress (GX) networks. The I-6 satellites, like all Inmarsat ELERA and GX spacecraft, are backward-compatible with existing terminals, ensuring that current and future customers will continue to benefit from new advances.

    The I-6s also substantially increase the effective capacity of the network available to ELERA customers with double the beams, 50% more spectrum per beam and double the power of the I-4s, matching customer demand as and where it is needed. They also add further depth in Inmarsat’s global coverage for even greater assurance to customers of the redundancy and resilience of Inmarsat’s L-band network.

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  • TRAI releases consultation paper on satellite gateway

    TRAI releases consultation paper on satellite gateway

    Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has extended an invitation to industry stakeholders to gather inputs on a framework for satellite gateways in India. This will facilitate the launch of satellite communication services in India.

    Prior to this, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has requested TRAI to furnish recommendations on licensing framework for establishing a satellite gateway. DoT has requested TRAI to address existing limitations in satellite gateway operations as there is no provision regarding the use of gateway by service providers established by a satellite constellation operator.

    The regulator is called to look into factors and make recommendations on entry fee, license fee, bank guarantee, NOCC charges, and other issues which may concern LEO, MEO and HTS systems.

    TRAI has since released a consultation paper to garner inputs by 13 December.

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  • Inmarsat and Skylo collaborate on world’s first commercial narrowband IoT over satellite solution

    Inmarsat and Skylo collaborate on world’s first commercial narrowband IoT over satellite solution

    Inmarsat will provide Skylo, a satellite-based narrow-band (NB) IoT solution company the satellite capacity backbone to deliver its IoT solutions for connecting machines and sensors.

    The agreement pairs Inmarsat’s exceptionally reliable global satellite network with a complete, easy-to-use IoT solution that provides even the most remotely located application users with real-time, actionable insights; helping improve efficiencies, increase profits, improve sustainability, and save lives.

    The solution is available now in India through a partnership with in-country partner BSNL and expansion plans will be announced later this year.

    “The most effective IoT solutions require a truly resilient and flexible network that can scale as demand grows,” said Rajeev Suri, Inmarsat Chief Executive Officer.

    “Inmarsat’s industry-leading L-band network provides a unique capability for enabling the billions of connected IoT devices in India and across the world that are being deployed at an extraordinary speed.  We are delighted to work with Skylo to provide the IoT fabric that matches their ambition.”

    “Skylo makes simple, reliable IoT connectivity available to everyone at disruptively affordable rates,” commented Skylo CEO and co-founder Parth Trivedi.

    “Even more attractive than a sharp increase in adoption due to low barrier-to-entry is deploying critical new business capabilities as machine data becomes readily available and accessible. Our global IoT connectivity fabric makes way for thousands of life-changing applications — from managing vaccine efficacy during delivery to advancing precision farming, to provide early warnings in the event of natural disasters. We look forward to expanding globally and making our platform available to small and large enterprises, companies deploying new sensors, systems integrators, distributors, Governments and OEMs.”

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  • SpaceX satellite Internet faces regulatory hurdles in Vietnam

    SpaceX satellite Internet faces regulatory hurdles in Vietnam

    U.S. aerospace company SpaceX can only launch its satellite Internet service Starlink in Vietnam if it ties up with a local partner, Vietnam’s Department of Telecommunications said.

    SpaceX, owned by South African-American billionaire Elon Musk, recently announced that Starlink, now in its beta testing phase, would be launched in Vietnam next year and customers could preorder it for $99.

    However, telecommunications and Internet companies are in the list of conditional businesses, which requires the foreign enterprises to partner with a Vietnamese enterprise that is licensed to provide telecom services or establish a joint venture.

    According to the Department of Telecommunications, foreign enterprises are not allowed to independently provide internet and telecommunication services in Vietnam.

    The Department of Telecommunications told VnExpress that the company has yet to apply to launch the service in Vietnam.

    The department said prospective subscribers should consider carefully before making the pre-order since “it is unsure if Starlink can provide satellite Internet services in Vietnam.”

    The pre-order is currently available in 15 countries, according to its website.

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  • Satellite to track rising seas as climate warms

    Satellite to track rising seas as climate warms

    An Earth-observation satellite developed by European and U.S. space agencies will measure sea level rise, tracking changes threatening to disrupt tens of millions of lives within a generation.

    If all goes according to plan, the payload will be hoisted into a low-Earth 1,300-kilometer (800-mile) orbit by a Space X Falcon 9 rocket, with lift-off from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California at 17:17 GMT Saturday.

    Sentinel-6a will be the first of two identical satellites – the second to be launched in five years – that will provide measurements of unprecedented precision until at least 2030.

    Each Sentinel-6 probe carries a radar altimeter, which measures the time it takes for radar pulses to travel to Earth’s surface and back again.

    The satellites will circle the planet in the same orbit as earlier missions that supplied sea-surface height data over the last three decades, mapping 95 percent of Earth’s ice-free ocean every 10 days.

    Accelerating sea level rise is arguably the climate change impact that will affect the largest number of people over the next three decades.

    Nearly 800 million people live within five meters of sea level, and even an increase in sea level of a few centimeters can translate into vastly more damage from high tides and storm surges.
    An Earth-observation satellite developed by European and U.S. space agencies will measure sea level rise, tracking changes threatening to disrupt tens of millions of lives within a generation.

    If all goes according to plan, the payload will be hoisted into a low-Earth 1,300-kilometer (800-mile) orbit by a Space X Falcon 9 rocket, with lift-off from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California at 17:17 GMT Saturday.

    Sentinel-6a will be the first of two identical satellites – the second to be launched in five years – that will provide measurements of unprecedented precision until at least 2030.

    Each Sentinel-6 probe carries a radar altimeter, which measures the time it takes for radar pulses to travel to Earth’s surface and back again.

    The satellites will circle the planet in the same orbit as earlier missions that supplied sea-surface height data over the last three decades, mapping 95 percent of Earth’s ice-free ocean every 10 days.

    Accelerating sea level rise is arguably the climate change impact that will affect the largest number of people over the next three decades.

    Nearly 800 million people live within five meters of sea level, and even an increase in sea level of a few centimeters can translate into vastly more damage from high tides and storm surges.

    China, Bangladesh, India, Vietnam, Indonesia and Thailand are home to the greatest number of people who today live on land that could be threatened by permanent inundation by 2100.

    Already today, there are more than 100 million people living below high tide levels.

    “Extreme sea level events that are historically rare – once per century in the recent past – are projected to occur frequently, at least once per year, at many locations by 2050,” especially in the tropics, the UN climate science advisory panel, the IPCC, concluded in a major report last year.

    Satellites tracking the world’s oceans since 1993 show that global mean sea level has risen, on average, by over three millimeters (more than a tenth of an inch) annually.

    More recently, that rate has increased to 5 mm per year.

    “It is crucial that we are able to see these accelerations,” said Alain Ratier, outgoing Director-General of Europe’s meteorological satellite agency, EUMETSAT.

    The IPCC forecasts an increase in global sea level rise of up to 1.1 meters (43 inches) by the end of the century.

    The Copernicus Sentinel-6 mission is a collaboration of the European Commission, the European Space Agency (ESA), EUMETSAT, NASA and the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

    The Sentinel satellites are each about the size and shape of a large minivan topped with slanted solar panels, and weigh nearly 1,200 kilos (2,600 pounds), including rocket fuel.

    They are designed to last for five-and-a-half years, but could provide data for far longer. China, Bangladesh, India, Vietnam, Indonesia and Thailand are home to the greatest number of people who today live on land that could be threatened by permanent inundation by 2100.

    Already today, there are more than 100 million people living below high tide levels.

    “Extreme sea level events that are historically rare – once per century in the recent past – are projected to occur frequently, at least once per year, at many locations by 2050,” especially in the tropics, the UN climate science advisory panel, the IPCC, concluded in a major report last year.

    Satellites tracking the world’s oceans since 1993 show that global mean sea level has risen, on average, by over three millimeters (more than a tenth of an inch) annually.

    More recently, that rate has increased to 5 mm per year.

    “It is crucial that we are able to see these accelerations,” said Alain Ratier, outgoing Director-General of Europe’s meteorological satellite agency, EUMETSAT.

    The IPCC forecasts an increase in global sea level rise of up to 1.1 meters (43 inches) by the end of the century.

    The Copernicus Sentinel-6 mission is a collaboration of the European Commission, the European Space Agency (ESA), EUMETSAT, NASA and the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

    The Sentinel satellites are each about the size and shape of a large minivan topped with slanted solar panels, and weigh nearly 1,200 kilos (2,600 pounds), including rocket fuel.

    They are designed to last for five-and-a-half years, but could provide data for far longer.

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  • Inmarsat receives $3.3b buyout bid

    Inmarsat receives $3.3b buyout bid

    Satellite operator Inmarsat is in talks to be acquired by a consortium of private equity investors in a deal worth $3.3 billion.

    UK-based Inmarsat is still negotiating with the consortium members over the possible takeover and a binding offer has not yet been received. But the preliminary offer involves cash payment of $7.21 per share.

    The consortium, which includes Apax Partners, Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan Board and Warburg Pincus International, has until April 16 to submit a binding offer or decline to make one.

    The $3.3 billion offer price is only marginally higher than the price offered by US-based satellite provider EchoStar during its takeover bid for Inmarsat in July last year, which was then worth $3.25 billion.

    At the time, Inmarsat’s board rejected the offer on the ground that it “very significantly undervalued Inmarsat and its standalone prospects.”

    But Bloomberg notes that Inmarsat’s share price has been barely changed over the intervening time – until the price was lifted by takeover speculation – and UK-based stocks have been struggling recently due to public investors’ concerns over Brexit. The publication attributes these factors to Inmarsat’s decision to come to the negotiating table this time.

    The deal values Inmarsat at around $6 billion, and represents a 34% premium on the company’s average share price over the past three months.

  • GateHouse Telecom developing universal satcom interface

    GateHouse Telecom developing universal satcom interface

    Satellite industry software provider GateHouse Telecom has revealed it is developing a technology that will allow a single physical satcom terminal to use multiple satellite systems.

    The company is developing a new interface that will allow users to run the same satcom terminal hardware and interface on different satellite services.

    GateHouse Telecom product manager Svend Holme Sørensen said the project reflects the company’s belief that there is a need for a universal satcom application interface.

    “To stay connected, user terminals have to adapt to changes in data routing and frequent changes of satellites,” he said.

    “Our new software platform, when based on software defined radio hardware, combined with the increasing availability of multi-service antenna systems opens the possibility of operating terminals on several satellite systems.”

    He said such demand appeared to be reflected in discussions at this year’s SmallSat Symposium in Silicon Valley.

    “There seems to be a general wish to run satellite constellations using network management functions, for example, software defined networks. However, this kind of functionality goes beyond the existing protocol specifications used today.”

    Using the same hardware terminal for multiple satellite systems would allow developers and engineers to bring down user terminal costs by increasing volumes to improve business cases.

  • Satcom Direct to distribute Intelsat’s FlexExec service

    Satcom Direct to distribute Intelsat’s FlexExec service

    Satellite operator Intelsat has teamed up with business aviation connectivity provider Satcom Direct to provide in-flight broadband connectivity to business jets globally. Satcom Direct has become the first solution partner and master distributor for Inmarsat’s FlexExec service for the business aviation sector. The company will add FlexExec to its new SD Xperience portfolio.

    Under the agreement, Inmarsat will provide Satcom Direct with immediate access to Intelsat’s Ku-band satellite fleet including its high throughput satellites.

    FlexExec is designed to differentiate from the competition by not sharing capacity with commercial aviation or customer broadband customers to provide business jet owners with guaranteed provide seamless, on-demand connectivity.

    “We are delighted that Satcom Direct has chosen FlexExec to be a part of their SD Xperience platform,” Intelsat VP and GM for mobility Mark Rasmussen said.

    “The global footprint, resiliency, redundancy and flexibility of FlexExec’s seamless Ku-band platform will ensure that passengers can easily extend fast, high quality broadband connectivity from their office into the skies.”

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  • Webscales must team with telcos on atmospheric satellite projects

    Webscales must team with telcos on atmospheric satellite projects

    The summer of 2018 brought different fates to moves by Facebook and Google to offer broadband services using high-flying drones and balloons (atmospheric satellites) to the unserved in remote rural areas.

    GlobalData, feels that webscales need to partner with telcos globally to address the affordability challenge of reaching out to the unconnected in rural markets with atmospheric satellites.

    Atmospheric satellites fit in the space between true satellites commonly used for communications and ground-based networks. Their theoretical advantage over satellites is much lower cost. Launching a balloon or a drone and equipping it with a radio base station represents a much cheaper way of covering large swaths of land. Considering one-third of the world population remains unconnected, the lower costs associated with balloon- or drone-based coverage is compelling.

    However in June 2018, following several setbacks over a period of four years, Facebook abandoned developing its own high-flying solar-powered drones (Aquila project) for delivering internet. However, the California-based social media giant said that it will focus on working with partners like Airbus on high altitude platform station (HAPS) system, which is capable of beaming down high-speed internet.

    On the other hand Alphabet, the parent company of another social media company, turned its Project Loon balloon broadband initiative into an independent company and announced its first commercial project with partly-state owned Telkom Kenya in July 2018. The partners plan to launch balloon-based 4G/LTE services commercially to parts of central Kenya, starting from 2019.

    Loon’s pilot with Telkom Kenya may provide the clearest test of whether atmospheric satellites can really work. This puts pressure on Loon to demonstrate it has a viable technology.

    “Things get more complicated when the practical challenges of covering the unconnected masses with drone- or balloon-based mobile signals are considered,” GlobalData telecom technology and software analyst Emir Halilovic said.

    “For starters, the potential customers for services provided from atmospheric satellites are not concentrated in one part of the world; rather, they are spread across remote, rural, or tribal areas, in many different countries and continents.”

    Truly addressing this group would require the participation of multiple operators in dozens of countries. Moreover, most of the unconnected usually do not live outside areas where they can get mobile service; they just cannot afford a mobile plan. Drones and balloons do little to address the ’affordability’ challenge.

    Halilovic concludes: “Still, there are reasons to continue to pursue atmospheric satellites to provide coverage to the underserved rural communities, which could use internet connection to improve access to medical services in isolated locations, for example. Another use case for atmospheric satellites is quick restoration of communication services in natural disasters. Telcos should therefore continue to test atmospheric satellites to support development of such services.”

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  • Chunghwa may need to change bands for ST-2 satellite

    Chunghwa may need to change bands for ST-2 satellite

    Taiwan’s Chunghwa Telecom could be required to the change frequencies it is using for its ST-2 satellite in order to accommodate the use of 5G on the 3.4-GHz to 3.6-GHz frequency range.

    Taiwanese regulator NCC plans to conduct experiments to see if the operator’s satellite system can coexist with 5G servicesv.

    If it is found that there are potential interference problems, the regulator may order Chunghwa Telecom to use different frequencies for its satellite service, which is used by a number of TV channels to transmit broadcast signals.

    The NCC believes that the order would not cause much disruption as it would affect only one transponder of the satellite system.

    The ST-2 contains 10 transponders in the frequency band in question – the C-band in satellite parlance, which uses 3.7-GHz to 4.2-GHz spectrum for downlink and 5.9-GHz to 6.4-GHz for uplink. It also has 41 transponders in the 12-GHz/14-GHz Ku-band.

    The report adds that the NCC may offer compensation to Chunghwa Telecom to cover the costs of the spectrum relocation.

    Meanwhile the Taiwanese government is expected to make its final decision over the use of spectrum in the 3.4-GHz to 3.6-GHz range for 5G by June, while the NCC has established a taskforce to draw up the rules for a 5G auction.

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  • Myanmar to launch own satellite in 2019

    Myanmar to launch own satellite in 2019

    The Myanmar government plans to launch its own communications satellite in June 2019 at a cost of $155.7 million.

    MyanmarSat 2 will have six C-band transponders and six KU-Band transponders with 864MHz of total bandwidth.

    The satellite will be at least partly owned by the government, unlike the MyanmarSat 1 which is being used under a lease model.

    The government is considering three potential ownership models – paying to lease a condosat transponder from another country, a joint ownership model or total ownership of the system. The joint ownership model has been favored by the Union Minister of Transport and Communications.

    Because the project would be most effective if all the capacity of the satellite is being utilized, the government is also exploring co-operation with the private sector. State-owned MPT has already proposed to lease 72MHz of the satellite’s total capacity.

    News of the Myanmar project came days after the Cambodian government announced plans to launch its first communications satellite by as early as 2021. This project also has an estimated budget of around $150 million.

  • Cambodia aims to launch its first satellite in 3 years

    Cambodia aims to launch its first satellite in 3 years

    The Cambodian government plans to launch its first communications satellite by as early as 2021, and will conduct a feasibility study within a year.

    The satellite project is projected to cost around $150 million and the satellite will have a lifespan of seven years, the Bangkok Post reported, citing comments from an official at the Telecom Regulator of Cambodia (TRC).

    TRC and the Ministry of Post and Telecom have partnered with Royal Blue Skies and Beijing-based China Great Wall Industry Corporation, and these partnerships are expected to allow Cambodia to launch a satellite within three years, compared to the standard of seven, the official said.

    China Great Wall Industry Corporation already has experience launching a satellite in Laos and will be able to take this experience to the Cambodian project.

    The feasibility study will be used to gauge the potential demand for satellite services and determine how much the government should invest in the project.

    In March, a new subsea cable was launched connecting Cambodia with Malaysia and Thailand. The 1,300km Malaysia-Cambodia-Thailand (MCT) cable system was built by a joint venture between Cambodia’s EZECOM, Telekom Malaysia and Symphony Communication of Thailand.

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  • Satellites key for 5G

    Satellites key for 5G

    Without next generation satellites, 5G networks will take longer to deploy, lack the necessary coverage and will be more expensive to build, a satellite industry executive told a keynote audience at CommunicAsia2017.

    Dr Ashok Rao, VP of product development at O3b Networks, said that the current generation of GEO, MEO and LEO satellites has a critical role to play in making 5G a reality, and that new networks will be transformative for the satellite business, during his presentation: “The Future of the Global Network.”

    The satellite business, he said, “is not a dinosaur industry for rural and remote communities any more.”

    There had been a “lot of innovation” in the satellite industry, and terrestrial infrastructure alone will not be able to deliver networks which can truly be rated as 5G.

    “A major characteristic of 5G is 99.9% coverage, and that’s where satellite comes in,” said Rao.

    “Traditionally satellite has been used in places which are remote and not well connected, but new use cases in 5G such as autonomous cars require the almost universal coverage which satellite can support.”

    Data hungry users are driving a big uptake in the use of mobile video, and satellites also has a role in delivering this capacity.

    Rao quoted UK research which claims that to deliver 5G in the UK requires an additional 400,000 masts, each about 25 meters high.

    “Britain is not a large geography, so imagine what would be required in larger countries,” he said.

    “But this is not going to happen in the UK, because of the zoning and community issues which would require negotiation.”

    Rao said next generation GEO satellites are significantly more powerful than those launched only ten years ago.

    Satellites launched in 2007 had a capacity of 8Gbps and download speeds of 2 Mbps, while those launched in 2020 will offer 800Gbps and 100 Mbps, respectively.

    “Satellites will enable low cost access to 5G, and reduce the capex burden on operators,” he said.

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  • Inmarsat launches fourth Global Xpress satellite

    Inmarsat launches fourth Global Xpress satellite

    Inmarsat has launched the fourth high speed broadband satellite in its Global Xpress constellation, the Inmarsat-5 F4 (I-5 F4).

    The new satellite was launched by SpaceX on the Falcon 9 Rocket from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida in the US. It was manufactured by Boeing Network & Space Systems.

    Inmarsat’s Global Xpress worldwide broadband connectivity service has been operational since December 2015. The fourth satellite will allow the company to add further capacity to the network as well as in-orbit redundancy.

    “For Inmarsat, reliability and resilience are paramount. Delivering global commercial services over the GX network, which we achieved at the end of 2015, was only the start of our Global Xpress project,” Inmarsat CEO Rupert Pearce said.

    “I-5 F4 augments the capabilities of GX and, alongside our existing L-band constellations, enables Inmarsat to provide guaranteed global connectivity to industries and governments worldwide.”

    He said the Global Xpress service has established a strong footprint in established very small aperture terminal (VSAT) markets such as maritime and government, and is gaining ground in new market areas such as the in-flight broadband connectivity sector.

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