Commercial Availability of Inmarsat Satellite Phone Services
New offerings come fully integrated with value-added services to provide users with cost efficiency and optimal performanceThe new services are available in mobile, fixed-land and fixed-maritime packages.
Customers using Inmarsat Satellite Phone Services will benefit from the wide range of value-added services that ensure optimal communications performance and cost efficiency. The most notable advantage is the dashboard, which enables customers to manage their usage of Inmarsat Satellite Phone Services by providing real-time information on voice and data traffic used, with associated costs.
The Dashboard further enhances the user experience of these new phone services by providing fast provisioning, as well as rebilling and reporting options to minimize unexpected invoices and potential financial risk. The Stratos Dashboard supports both postpaid and prepaid rate-plan options.
The Dashboard is used by all Stratos partners who deploy the Broadband Global Area Network (BGAN) worldwide. The Dashboard is also expected to be widely used worldwide by customers who will be deploying Inmarsat Satellite Phone Services.
Inmarsat Satellite Phone Services offer a competitive alternative to the handheld, fixed and maritime solutions now available in the marketplace. The services offer high-quality voice and data (2.4 kbps) connectivity via small, affordable equipment.
The IsatPhone is a handheld mobile phone that is ideal for users who include business travelers and government officials. The retail price of the IsatPhone terminal is US$499. End-user airtime charges for all Inmarsat Satellite Phone Services are less than US$1 per minute, with attractive discounts available to Stratos partners. Postpaid packages are available now and Inmarsat expects to announce prepaid packages early next month.
The LandPhone is a low-cost, easy-to-use fixed telephony system that is ideal for remote locations where local networks are unreliable or non-existent. The FleetPhone is a fixed maritime terminal that offers voice services only and is ideal for all maritime applications. The FleetPhone is expected to be commercially available later this month.
Inmarsat Satellite Phone Services are now available in the Middle East, Africa and Asia, to both land and maritime customers. Service in these regions is made possible by Inmarsat’s latest-generation I-4 satellite. Full global coverage is expected by the end of 2008, commencing with the launch of Inmarsat’s F3 satellite.
