Inmarsat is the world's leading provider of global mobile satellite communications.
Inmarsat provide voice and high-speed data services to almost anywhere on the planet - on land, at sea and in the air.
Inmarsat network
Inmarsat was the operator of the first global mobile satellite communications system - its goal to enable merchant ships to stay in touch across the oceans and to call for help in an emergency.
Inmarsat services are delivered through the most versatile and reliable satellite network in the world.
Today Inmarsat owns and operates three global constellations of 11 satellites flying in geosynchronous orbit 37,786 km (22,240 statute miles) above the earth and controlled from Inmarsat HQ in London via ground stations located around the globe.
Inmarsat vision
Inmarsat's goal is to remain the leading mobile satellite services operator - through a combination of extensive portfolio, global coverage and technological innovation.
Inmarsat aim to deliver the highest standards of reliability in the market, while offering excellent value for money.
With the deployment of Inmarsat-5 Global Xpress™ network from the end of 2014, Inmarsat will be able to offer customers mobile broadband speeds of 50Mbps to terminals as small as 60cms, and speeds of up to 10Mbps to terminals as small as 20cm.
Ka-band first
It will be the first time a commercial operator has utilised Ka-band radio frequencies to deliver a global satellite service.
This additional capacity will also free Inmarsat to enhance Inmarsat's existing portfolio of L-band services - including BGAN, FleetBroadband and SwiftBroadband, and our global handheld phone, IsatPhone Pro.
Inmarsat sees a future where mobile satellite services are delivered through a combination of L-band and Ka-band satellites, harnessing the strengths of each to offer an unrivalled package of services based on speed, price and portability.
Award for innovation
Inmarsat first wholly owned satellites, the Inmarsat-2s, were launched in the early 1990s, and the Inmarsat-3s - the first generation to use spot beam technology - followed later in the decade.
The Inmarsat-4 satellites - winner in 2010 of the Royal Academy of Engineering's prestigious MacRobert Award for innovation - established the world's first global 3G network in 2009. They are expected to remain in service until 2020 and beyond.
Mobile coverage
In the meantime, Inmarsat has entered into agreement with the European Space Agency (ESA) to become the commercial operator of a new satellite called Alphasat.
Built by Astrium, Alphasat is scheduled for completion in 2012, when it will supplement the I-4 satellites by providing L-band mobile coverage of Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
The Inmarsat-5s
A new constellation of Ka-band satellites, the Inmarsat-5s, is also being built by US manufacturer Boeing, planned for launch in 2013-14.
They will form the backbone of our new Inmarsat Global Xpress™ network, offering broadband speeds of 50Mbps around the world.
I-4s lead the fleet
The Inmarsat-4 (I-4) series of satellites are the most advanced commercial mobile communications spacecraft of their kind.
The three satellites that make up the global I-4 constellation are part of an 11-strong fleet of spacecraft owned and operated by Inmarsat.
Spot beams
Inmarsat's first wholly owned satellites, the Inmarsat-2s, were launched in the early 1990s, and the Inmarsat-3s - the first generation to use spot beam technology - followed later in the decade.
The I-4s set a new benchmark for mobile satellite communications in terms of their power, capacity and flexibility when they first went into orbit in 2005. One I-4 satellite is 60 times more powerful than an Inmarsat-3.
The I-4 series is expected to continue in commercial operation until about 2020.
Alphasat
In the meantime, Inmarsat has entered into agreement with the European Space Agency (ESA) to become the commercial operator of a new satellite called Alphasat.
The satellite is part of an ESA initiative to develop a new spacecraft platform capable of carrying a large communications payload.
Alphasat is scheduled for completion in 2012 and will supplement the existing I-4 satellites. It will provide service over Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
