Flagged as “broadband for a mobile planet” the Inmarsat-4 Satellite is Inmarsat’s first step in providing the next-generation of mobile services, including BGAN. The Inmarsat-4s will speed through space at 6,875 mph. The satellites will sit in geostationary orbit, where they will be synchronized with the rotational speed of the Earth and appear to “hover” over the Equator. They will bring about a 16-fold increase in the traffic-bearing capacity of the Inmarsat network — and will extend high-speed data into space, creating a truly global broadband network. Much of the I-4 traffic will be carried as Internet Protocol (IP) packet-switched data. The network will also be powerful enough to support circuit-switched applications, such as voice, ISDN and fax.
See also BGAN.
