Telenor Satellite Services, a subsidiary of Telenor of Norway, Tuesday announced its selection as a prospective launch distributor of Inmarsat’s Broadband Global Area Network (BGAN) services.
BGAN, currently planned for commercial launch in 2005, will offer high-speed circuit-switched and packet data services, plus voice telephony, via a portfolio of small, lightweight user terminals.
Telenor and Inmarsat have already begun work to jointly evaluate market opportunities, develop business systems and build a network infrastructure to support and expand the new global broadband services.
“The success of BGAN is of strategic importance to Inmarsat,” said Michael Butler, chief operating officer of Inmarsat. “A strong and close relationship with our launch distributors will be a critical success factor and clearly Inmarsat has such a relationship with Telenor.”
In addition to becoming a prospective BGAN distribution partner, Telenor has also been selected by Inmarsat as one of a limited number of carriers to provide the aggregation of voice and ISDN calls, and terrestrial interconnection to BGAN. (See Telenor Satellite Services press release, June 28, 2004.) Telenor will continue to offer termination of all Inmarsat standards and services, including BGAN, in all ocean regions through its global terrestrial network.
“Telenor’s selection as a prospective distribution partner for BGAN, and as an interconnect partner, demonstrates this company’s commitment to meet the emerging needs of our service providers and end-users for portable broadband services via satellite,” said Tore Hilde, chief executive officer of Telenor Satellite Services.
“With our continuing Inmarsat partnership, we expect to work jointly to deliver advanced BGAN services to the global marketplace as we continue to lead the way as one of Inmarsat’s largest customers and service partners.”
The enhanced capabilities of the BGAN system, currently planned for commercial launch during 2005, will be made possible through a new generation of satellites, known as Inmarsat 4. The Inmarsat 4 spacecraft will be the most powerful communications satellites ever launched by a commercial organization.
