Inmarsat launches satellite in £1bn mobile broadband project
INMARSAT yesterday launched Britain’s biggest commercial space project as the first of its three satellites took off.
The London-based firm has invested £1bn in the Global Xpress fleet, to create the world’s first high-speed, worldwide mobile broadband service.
Inmarsat aims to launch all three satellites by the end of next year to deliver broadband services that are 100 times faster than it’s current Inmarsat-4 fleet.
The company boasts that Global Xpress will offer broadband connections anywhere from the middle of an ocean to the heart of the Amazon and for aircraft flying at 40,000 feet.
Yesterday’s launch, from Kazakhstan, solidifies Inmarsat’s reputation as a leader in the Mobile Satellite Services (MSS) market.
The company’s existing fleet of 10 satellites is used by governments, airlines, ship owners, energy companies, the world’s top news broadcasters and leading humanitarian organisations for data and voice services.