Inmarsat Global Ltd. is launching a communications satellite Tuesday designed to help bring new high-speed data and communications services to the Americas. The launch had been planned for Saturday but was delayed, according to an announcement by Inmarsat. The service, called Broadband Global Area Network (BGAN), will be used starting next spring by a variety of customers, including the U.S. military, media companies and global corporations, according to an Inmarsat spokeswoman. BGAN will enable communications at 432Kbit/sec., to support applications such as video on demand, voice, e-mail and other Internet access, she said. In March, Inmarsat launched its first Inmarsat-4 satellite in the BGAN program, which is now positioned over Europe, the Middle East and Asia. The second I-4 satellite will be located over the Americas, and a third satellite could be launched over the Pacific Ocean, depending on coverage needs, according to Inmarsat’s Web site. Inmarsat’s Regional BGAN data service is already being marketed to business customers who can purchase ground-based satellite terminals, which cost about US$500, the spokeswoman said. The service offers data connectivity only at an average cost of about $6 per megabyte, she said. Several ground terminal models for the global BGAN service will sell for $1,500 to $3,500, with comparable rates for data transmission. Rates are set by distributors, not by Inmarsat, she said, which means that pricing may vary. No price range has been established for voice service. The BGAN terminals look like laptop computers and connect wirelessly or with a wired connection to laptops and phones. The service supports the Internet Protocol and traditional circuit-switched technologies, according to a data sheet. Inmarsat is a satellite wholesaler with an estimated 350,000 terminals in use globally, the spokeswoman said. The satellite launch can be viewed at www.inmarsat.com. By Matt Hamblen – Computerworld (US online) Related content BrandPost Retail innovation playbook: Fast, economical transformation on Microsoft Cloud For retailers, tight integration of data and systems is the antidote to a challenging economy. By Tata Consultancy Services Mar 24, 2023 3 mins Retail Industry Digital Transformation BrandPost How retailers are empowering business transformation with TCS and Microsoft Cloud AI-powered omnichannel integration and a strong, secure digital core lets retailers innovate across four primary areas while staying compliant, maintaining security and preventing fraud. By Tata Consultancy Services Mar 24, 2023 4 mins Retail Industry Cloud Computing BrandPost How to Build ROI from Cloud Migration This whitepaper and webcast can help you calculate the ROI and create a business case for modernizing your legacy applications to the Microsoft Cloud. By Tata Consultancy Services Mar 24, 2023 1 min Retail Industry Cloud Computing BrandPost How to power a sustainable enterprise on Microsoft Cloud In this eBook, we’ll follow the journey of Amal Skye, a fictitious woman who is committed to living in a way that preserves the planet for the future —and how businesses like Tata Consultancy Services and Microsoft are making that possi By Tata Consultancy Services Mar 24, 2023 1 min Retail Industry Green IT Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe