Global Satellite Broadband Service Launched

Inmarsat, in partnership with defence company Thales UK, have launched a satellite based broadband service to offer global internet connectivity. The Broadband Global Area Network (BGAN) service, should be fully active by June 2007. The service will provide connection speeds of up to 492Kbps to much of the world, with the exception of areas above the latitudes of 80 degrees north and below 80 degrees south which are outside the active coverage of the satellite network. The service is expected to cost approximately $1 per minute for voice calls and $8 per megabyte of data. Connecting will initially require a proprietary device in the form of a GPS equipped tablet, which provides directional information to the user so that they can ensure the best signal reception. For more information read Gemma Simpson's article at Silicon.com.