inmarsat Inmarsat is considered to be the pioneer of mobile satellite systems. Started in the early 1990's, Inmarsat was originally designed for the maritime industry, but has grown to represent many diverse markets with over 100,000 registered users worldwide. Unlike the cellular like handsets available through Iridium & Globalstar, Inmarsat satellite phones come in the form of a small briefcase-esque unit referred to as a Mini-M satellite phone terminal. The Mini-M is equitable to a standard laptop computer both in size and physical appearance. Critics of Inmarsat believe that the oversized unit is outdated and inconvenient given the general scenarios under which satellite phones are generally used. (I.E remote locations) The large size, however, does have at least one benefit: their ability to transfer data/faxes. Greater data transfer rates amongst Inmarsat make them a more appropriate choice for certain facets of business usages. One such usage is with the establishment of remote/semi-permanent offices. The Inmarsat network is made up of 4 geo-stationary (fixed position relative to earth) satellites. These 4 satellites are positioned 35,600 km above ground at equatorial points over the Pacific Ocean, the Indian Ocean, and both the east and west sides of the Atlantic. Although the Inmarsat satellites are in fixed locations, they still manage to provide communication coverage to the majority of the globe. The only areas that are not within the Inmarsat network are the Poles. One of the benefits associated with Inmarsat's geo-stationary satellites is that the signal is generally strong enough to deliver the signal directly to its destination without having to travel via other satellites. This is important because it can almost ensure that the signal will not be lost. The future is bright for Inmarsat; By 2005, they are expecting to go live with their updated system boasting a support of the Broadband Global Area Network (B-GAN). It is believed that B-GAN will provide a signal 100 times more powerful than its predecessors, with an estimated 10 times the capacity. This increased capacity is intended to allow for superior Internet, data, fax and voice services. Inmarsat Mini-M Nera Worldphone $2,240 3 hrs talktime 15.5" x 1.5" x 8" weight: 5.2 lbs ============================================================================ > > > Compare Inmarsat phones with other SATELLITE PHONE SERVICE PROVIDERS ============================================================================

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