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Inmarsat
Inmarsat plc (LSE: ISAT) is a British satellite telecommunications
company, offering global, mobile services. It provides telephone and
data services to users worldwide, via portable or mobile terminals
which communicate to ground stations through eleven
geostationary telecommunications satellites. Inmarsat's network
provides communications services to a range of governments, aid
agencies, media outlets and businesses with a need to communicate in
remote regions or where there is no reliable terrestrial network. The
company is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent
of the FTSE 250 Index as of December 2011.
History
 The company was originally founded in 1979 as the International Maritime Satellite
Organization (Inmarsat), a not-for-profit international organization, set up at the behest
of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), a UN body, for the purpose of
establishing a satellite communications network for the maritime community. It began
trading in 1982. From the beginning, the acronym "Inmarsat" was used. The intent was to
create a self-financing body which would improve safety of life at sea. The name was
changed to "International Mobile Satellite Organization" when it began to provide
services to aircraft and portable users, but the acronym "Inmarsat" was kept. When the
organisation was converted into a private company in 1999, the business was split into
two parts: The bulk of the organisation was converted into the commercial company,
Inmarsat plc, and a small group became the regulatory body, IMSO. In 2005 Apax
Partners and Permira bought shares in the company. The company was also first listed on
the London Stock Exchange in that year. In March 2008 it was disclosed that U.S. hedge
fund Harbinger Capital owned 28% of the company. In July 2009, Inmarsat completed
the acquisition of a 19-per-cent stake in SkyWave Mobile Communications Inc., a
provider of Inmarsat D+/IsatM2M network services which in turn purchased the
GlobalWave business from TransCore. On 15 April 2009, Inmarsat completed the
acquisition of satellite communications provider Stratos Global Corporation (Stratos).
 Inmarsat won the 2010 MacRobert Award for its Broadband Global Area
Network (BGAN) service, overcoming the three other shortlisted companies.
Operations
 Aside from its commercial services, Inmarsat provides global maritime distress and
safety services (GMDSS) to ships and aircraft at no charge, as a public service.
 Services include traditional voice calls, low-level data tracking systems, and high-
speed Internet and other data services as well as distress and safety services. The
most recent of these provides GPRS-type services at up to 492 kbit/s via
the Broadband Global Area Network (BGAN) IP satellite modem the size of a
notebook computer. Other services provide mobile Integrated Services Digital
Network (ISDN) services used by the media for live reporting on world events via
videophone.
 The price of a call via Inmarsat has now dropped to a level where they are
comparable, and in many cases favorable, to international roaming costs, or hotel
phone calls. Voice call charges are the same for any location in the world where the
service is used. Tariffs for calls to Inmarsat country codes vary, depending on the
country in which they are placed. Inmarsat primarily uses country code 870 (see
below).
 Newer Inmarsat services use an IP technology that features an always-on capability
where the users are only charged for the amount of data they send and receive,
rather than the length of time they are connected.This applies specifically
to BGAN and MPDS.
Operations
 The satellites are digital transponders that receive digital signals,
reform the pulses, and then retransmit them to ground stations.
Ground stations maintain usage and billing data and function as
gateways to the public switched telephone network and the
Internet.
 The first (F1) and second (F2) of Inmarsat's most recent series of
satellites, known as the "I4" satellites, were launched in June and
November 2005. The third and final satellite (F3) was launched
from the Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on the 18 August
2008. These were the largest commercial telecommunications
satellites ever launched. Each satellite is equipped with a global
beam, 19 regional spot beams, and over 200 narrow spot beams.
Each also includes a 9-meter L-Band AstroMesh reflector.
 In addition to its own satellites, Inmarsat has a collaboration
agreement with ACeS regarding handheld voice services.
Coverage
 There are three types of coverage related to each Inmarsat satellite.
 Global beam coverage Each satellite is equipped with a single global beam that
covers up to one-third of the Earth's surface, apart from the poles. Overall,
global beam coverage extends from latitudes of −82 to +82 degrees regardless of
longitude.Regional spot beam coverageEach regional beam covers a fraction of
the area covered by a global beam, but collectively all of the regional beams
offer virtually the same coverage as the global beams. Use of regional beams
allow user terminals (also called mobile earth stations) to operate with
significantly smaller antennae. Regional beams were introduced with the I-3
satellites. Each I-3 satellite provides four to six spot beams; each I-4 satellite
provides 19 regional beams.Narrow spot beam coverageNarrow beams are
offered by the three Inmarsat-4 satellites. Narrow beams vary in size, tend to be
several hundred kilometers across. The narrow beams, while much smaller
than the global or regional beams, are far more numerous and hence offer the
same global coverage. Narrow spot beams allow yet smaller antennas and much
higher data rates. They form the backbone of Inmarsat's handheld (GSPS) and
broadband services (BGAN). This coverage was introduced with the I-4
satellites. Each I-4 satellite provides around 200 narrow spot beams.
Satellites
Country codes
 The permanent telephone country code for calling Inmarsat destinations is:
 870 SNAC (Single Network Access Code)
 The 870 number is an automatic locator; it is not necessary to know to which
satellite the destination Inmarsat terminal is logged-in. SNAC is now usable by
all Inmarsat services.
 Country codes phased out on 31 December 2008 were
 871 Atlantic Ocean Region – East (AOR-E)
 872 Pacific Ocean Region (POR)
 873 Indian Ocean Region (IOR)
 874 Atlantic Ocean Region – West (AOR-W)
 The other four country codes corresponded to the areas that Inmarsat satellites
cover (normally one satellite per area). These areas were commonly called
"Ocean Regions". With the advent of SNAC on 870, the older country codes
were no longer needed. They were formally phased out on 31 December 2008
but may still be routed by some regional carriers.
Networks
 Inmarsat has developed a series of networks providing certain sets of services (most
networks support multiple services). They are grouped into two sets, existing and
evolved services, and advanced services. Existing and evolved services are offered
through land earth stations which are not owned nor operated by Inmarsat, but
through companies which have a commercial agreement with Inmarsat. Advanced
services are provided via distribution partners but the satellite gateways are owned
and operated by Inmarsat directly.
Advanced services
The "BGAN Family" is a set of IP-based shared-carrier services, as follows:
 BGAN: Broadband Global Area Network for use on land. BGAN benefits from the
new I-4 satellites to offer a shared-channel IP packet-switched service of up to 492
kbit/s (uplink and downlink speeds may differ and depend on terminal model) and
a streaming-IP service from 32 up to X-Stream data rate (services depend on
terminal model). X-Stream delivers the fastest, on demand streaming data rates
from a minimum of 384 kbit/s up to around 450 kbit/s (service depend on location
of user and terminal model). Most terminals also offer circuit-switched
Mobile ISDN services at 64 kbit/s and even low speed (4.8 kbit/s) voice etc. services.
BGAN service is available globally on all I4 satellites.
Networks
 FleetBroadband (FB): A maritime service, FleetBroadband is based on
BGAN technology, offering similar services and using the same
infrastructure as BGAN. A range of Fleet Broadband user terminals are
available, designed for fitting on ships.
 SwiftBroadband (SB): An aeronautical service, SwiftBroadband is based
on BGAN technology and offers similar services. SB terminals are
specifically designed for use aboard commercial, private, and military
aircraft.
Networks
M2M communications
 BGAN M2M: Which was launched at the beginning of January 2012,
will deliver a global, IP-based low-data rate service, for users needing
high levels of data availability and performance in permanently
unmanned environments. Ideally suited for high frequency, very low
latency data reporting, BGAN M2M will prove extremely attractive for
monitoring fixed assets such as pipelines and oil well heads, or
backhauling electricity consumption data within a utility.
 IsatM2M: IsatM2M is a global, short burst data, store and forward
service that will deliver messages of 10.5 or 25.5 bytes in the send
direction, to 100 bytes in the receive direction. The service is delivered
to market via two partners - SkyWave Mobile Communications and
EMS. Each has their own solutions to integrate the service into
customers’ infrastructure.
Networks
Global Voice Services
 IsatPhone Pro: IsatPhone Pro is Inmarsat's own-designed and
manufactured robust mobile satellite phone, offering clear voice
telephony. It also comes with a variety of data capabilities, including
SMS, short message emailing and GPS look-up-and-send, as well as
supporting a data service of up to 20kbit/s.
 IsatPhone Link: IsatPhone Link is a low-cost, fixed, global satellite
phone service. It provides essential voice connectivity for those working
or living in areas outside of cellular coverage and also comes with a
variety of data capabilities.
Networks

 FleetPhone: Inmarsat's FleetPhone service is a fixed phone service


ideal for use on smaller vessels where voice communications is the
primary requirement or on vessels where additional voice lines are
needed. It provides a low-cost, global satellite phone service option for
those working or sailing outside of cellular coverage.
Networks
Existing and Evolved services, based on older technologies, as follows:
 Aeronautical (Classic Aero): provides voice/fax/data services for
aircraft. Three levels of terminals, Aero-L (Low Gain Antenna)
primarily for packet data including ACARS and ADS, Aero-H (High
Gain Antenna) for medium quality voice and fax/data at up to 9600
bit/s, and Aero-I (Intermediate Gain Antenna) for low quality voice and
fax/data at up to 2400 bit/s. Note, there are also aircraft rated versions
of Inmarsat-C and mini-M/M4. The aircraft version of GAN is called
Swift64
Networks
 Inmarsat-B: provides voice services, telex services, medium speed fax/data
services at 9.6 kbit/s and high speed data services at 56, 64 or 128 kbit/s. There
is also a 'leased' mode for Inmarsat-B available on the spare Inmarsat satellites.
 Inmarsat-C: effectively this is a "satellite telex" terminal with store-and-
forward, polling etc. capabilities. Certain models of Inmarsat-C terminals are
also approved for usage in the GMDSS system, equipped with GPS.
 Inmarsat-M: provides voice services at 4.8 kbit/s and medium speed fax/data
services at 2.4 kbit/s. It paved the way towards Inmarsat-Mini-M.
 Mini-M: provides voice services at 4.8 kbit/s and medium speed fax/data
services at 2.4 kbit/s. One 2.4kbit/s channel takes up 4.8kbit/s on the satellite.
 GAN (Global Area Network): provides a selection of low speed services like
voice at 4.8 kbit/s, fax & data at 2.4 kbit/s, ISDN like services at 64 kbit/s
(called Mobile ISDN) and shared-channel IP packet-switched data services at
64 kbit/s (called Mobile Packet Data Service MPDS, formerly Inmarsat Packet
Data Service – IPDS). GAN is also known as "M4".
Networks
 Fleet: actually a family of networks that includes the Inmarsat-Fleet77,
Inmarsat-Fleet55 and Inmarsat-Fleet33 members (The numbers 77, 55
and 33 come from the diameter of the antenna in centimeters). Much
like GAN, it provides a selection of low speed services like voice at 4.8
kbit/s, fax/data at 2.4 kbit/s, medium speed services like fax/data at 9.6
kbit/s, ISDN like services at 64 kbit/s (called Mobile ISDN) and shared-
channel IP packet-switched data services at 64 kbit/s (called Mobile
Packet Data Service MPDS). However, not all these services are
available with all members of the family. The latest service to be
supported is Mobile ISDN at 128 kbit/s on Inmarsat-Fleet77 terminals.
 Swift 64: Similar to GAN, providing voice, low rate fax/data, 64kbit/s
ISDN, and MPDS services, for private, business, and commercial
aircraft. Swift 64 is often sold in a multi-channel version, to support
several times 64kbit/s.
Networks
 Inmarsat D/D+/IsatM2M: Inmarsat's version of a pager, although much larger than
terrestrial versions. Some units are equipped with GPS. The original Inmarsat-D
terminals were one-way (to mobile) pagers. The newer Inmarsat-D+ terminals are the
equivalent of a two-way pager. The main use of this technology nowadays is in tracking
trucks and buoys and SCADA applications. SkyWave Mobile Communications is a
provider of D/D+/IsatM2M satellite data services with its DMR and SureLinx series
products. SkyWave also provides satellite tracking, monitoring and control capabilities
through its GlobalWave MT series products.[26] Competing systems such as
from Skybitz only operate on theMSAT geostationary satellite over North America.
 MPDS (Mobile Packet Data Service): Previously known as IPDS, this is an IP-based data
service in which several users share a 64kbit/s carrier in a manner similar to ADSL.
MPDS-specific terminals are not sold; rather, this is a service which comes with most
terminals that are designed for GAN, Fleet, and Swift64.
 IsatPhone: provides voice services at 4.8 kbit/s and medium speed fax/data services at 2.4
kbit/s. This service emerged from a collaboration agreement with ACeS, and is available
in the EMEA and APAC satellite regions. Coverage is available in Africa, the Middle-East,
Asia, and Europe, as well as in maritime areas of the EMEA and APAC coverage.
Networks

Withdrawn Services
 Regional BGAN (R-BGAN): was an IP-based, shared carrier service
offered on a regional basis. The service was superseded by BGAN
and was withdrawn at the end of 2008.
 Inmarsat-A: was the original Inmarsat service, established in 1975
by Comsat. It initially offered analog FM voice and telex services
and, optionally, high speed data services at 56 or 64 kbit/s. The
service was withdrawn at the end of 2007.
 Inmarsat-E: A global maritime distress alerting service using
small Emergency Position Indicating Rescue Beacons (EPIRB) that
automatically relayed distress messages to maritime Rescue
Coordination Centres. This service has been withdrawn in favor of
other similar services offered by Cospas-Sarsat.
New projects underway
 Global Xpress[edit]
 In August 2010 Inmarsat awarded Boeing a contract to build a constellation of three Inmarsat-5
satellites, as part of a US$1.2 billion worldwide wireless broadband network called Inmarsat Global
Xpress. The three Inmarsat-5 (I-5) satellites will be based on Boeing's 702HP spacecraft platform. The
first is scheduled for completion in 2013, with full global coverage expected by the end of 2014. The
satellites will operate at Ka-band in the range of 20–30 GHz. Each Inmarsat-5 will carry a payload of
89 small Ka-band beams which combined will offer global Ka-band spot coverage. In addition each
satellite will carry six fully steerable beams that can be pointed at commercial or government traffic
hotspots. According to Inmarsat, Global Xpress will deliver download speeds in excess of 60Mbit/s to
a 60 cm dish. As a result of Global Xpress wide coverage satellites' bandwidth of only 12Gbit/s each
will be moderate compared to Ka band satellites with a narrower footprint.
 There are plans to offer high-speed inflight broadband on airliners through Global Xpress.
 In February 2011 Inmarsat announced that iDirect had been awarded the contract to provide both the
ground segment and the 'core module' that provides the key electronics in the new GX maritime (and
later for other markets) terminals. iDirect was already established as the leading player in the
maritime VSAT field and the award of this contract confirmed their dominance of this market. The
proposed GX system will deliver data at rates of up to 50 Mbit/s -an order of magnitude faster than
existing VSAT systems using C-band or Ku-band satellite capacity and two orders faster than the
existing L-band services.
New projects underway
 Inmarsat's foray into S-band, mobile services[edit]
 On 30 June 2008 the European Parliament and the Council adopted the
European’s Decision to establish a single selection and authorisation process
(ESAP – European S-band Application Process) to ensure a coordinated
introduction of mobile satellite services (MSS) in Europe. The selection process
was launched in August 2008 and attracted four applications by prospective
operators (ICO, Inmarsat, Solaris Mobile, TerreStar).
 In May 2009, the European Commission selected two operators, Inmarsat
Ventures and Solaris Mobile, giving these operators “the right to use the
specific radio frequencies identified in the Commission's decision and the right
to operate their respective mobile satellite systems". EU Member States now
have to ensure that the two operators have the right to use the specific radio
frequencies identified in the Commission's decision and the right to operate
their respective mobile satellite systems for 18 years from the selection decision.
The operators are compelled to start operations within 24 months (May 2011)
from the selection decision.
New projects underway
 Europasat
 Inmarsat's S-band satellite programme, called EuropaSat, will deliver mobile multimedia broadcast,
mobile two-way broadband telecommunications and next-generation MSS services across all 27
member states of the European Union and as far east as Moscow and Ankara by means of a hybrid
satellite/terrestrial network. It will be built by Thales Alenia Space and launched in early 2011
launched by ILS. The EuropaSat has been put on hold in late 2009. Inmarsat instead plans to seek
external investors to fund the project, and ultimately to spin it off as a separate company.
 Alphasat for extended L-band services[edit]
 Launched on 25 July 2013, Alphasat I-XL was carried into orbit by an Ariane 5 ECA rocket from
the Guiana Space Centre, Europe’s spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana. The satellite was built
by Astrium using an Alphabus platform and weighed more than six tons at launch. The new-
generation Alphasat I-XL will be positioned at 25 degrees East to offer advanced mobile voice and
data communications services across Europe, Africa and the Middle East using L-Band. It features a
new generation digital signal processor for the payload, a 11-meter aperture AstroMesh antenna
reflector, supplied by Astro Aerospace in Carpenteria, CA. Its design life is 15 years.
 In addition, Alphasat will host four ESA-provided technology demonstration payloads: an advanced
star tracker using active pixel technology, an optical laser terminal for geostationary to low-Earth
orbit communication at high data rates, a dedicated payload for the characterization of transmission
performance in the Q-V band in preparation for possible commercial exploitation of these
frequencies and a radiation sensor to better characterise the environment at geostationary orbit.
Inmarsat satellite system
 The Inmarsat satellite system is concerned with two kinds of communication as far as maritime
stations are concerned - the transmission of emergency traffic, such as distress, urgency and safety
messages, to and from vessels at sea, and for routine communications, also in both directions.
The Inmarsat system of global satellite communication was proposed by the International Maritime
Organisation as a way of overcoming congestion and atmospheric interference. The developing
satellite technology of the 1970s made it become a reality and the system became commercially
operational in 1982.
When Immarsat first started operations it leased capacity on existing satellites. Its initial operations
were exclusively concerned with maritime stations, but the system soon expanded as aeronautical and
land users realised the benefits of the system and Inmarsat began to launch its own satellites. At the
present time, maritime stations still generate about two thirds of the system's traffic.
The world according to Inmarsat is divided into four regions:
Atlantic Ocean Region East
Indian Ocean Region
Atlantic Ocean Region West
Pacific Ocean Region
There is a satellite, and usually at least one spare, in geostationary orbit at a height of about 36,000
km over each region. The present orbital locations of the satellites are:
 Each satellite can 'see' about one third of the Earth, so there is some overlap between adjacent
regions. From a Mobile Earth Station, in our case the vessel wishing to communicate, the satellite
being used must be at an elevation of at least 5 degrees above the horizon for there to be reliable
communications. Since the four satellites are in orbit over the equator, this means that the very high
latitudes of the polar regions cannot be covered. The area of coverage is effectively from about 70º N
to about 70º S.

 On the ground there are 34 Land Earth Stations, which provide the link between the satellites and the
terrestrial telecommunications network. Not all of the LESs can provide all the services so a suitable
LES, which is within the footprint of the satellite being worked, must be chosen. The LESs are
sometimes called Coast Earth Stations and they are the satellite equivalent of the HF or VHF Coast
Stations. However, since there is no necessity for a satellite earth station to be on the coast, and since
one third of the mobile traffic generated on the satellite system is from non-maritime mobile stations,
Land Earth Station is probably the better term to use.

 Each LES is assigned a two-digit code number. If that LES can access more than one satellite, then the
same code number is used through each satellite that the LES can access. Some LESs in Europe can
actually access three satellites, the only one beyond their reach is the Pacific Ocean Region. For any
satellite that the LES cannot access, that particular code number could well be allocated to another
LES on that satellite.
 For example, 01 through AOR-W, or through AOR-E is Southbury LES in the eastern
USA, but 01 through the POR is Santa Paula on the west coast of the USA. 02 via AOR-W
is Goonhilly in the UK, but on the POR or IOR satellite it is Perth in Australia. So care
must be taken that the antenna is pointing at the correct satellite, or in the case of
Inmarsat-C, that you are logged onto the correct satellite before the code for the LES is
entered.

 In each Ocean Region there is a Network Co-ordination Station. Each NCS continuously
monitors the flow of traffic through its satellite and ensures that calls are set up correctly.
The NCS is permanently connected to all the LESs that are working through that
particular satellite, and it monitors them all to ensure that they are functioning correctly.
The NCS allocates the channel to be used by the mobile station and by the LES for each
and every call. All the NCSs are in turn monitored and controlled by the Network Control
Centre. The NCC is at the Inmarsat Headquarters in London and it is permanently
connected to all the NCSs.

 Finally, there is the Satellite Control Centre, also located in London, which is responsible
for looking after the satellites themselves. The SCC is linked to a series of tracking
stations around the world and it monitors the orbit of each satellite, adjusting it as
necessary to keep the satellite exactly where it is supposed to be.
 In 1990, Inmarsat launched the first of its own second-generation satellites and by April 1992, each
region had a Series 2 satellite. These satellites were built by a consortium headed by the Space and
Communications Division of British Aerospace. The Series 2 satellites were designed with an
expected ten-year life. Each weighed some 1,300 kilos at launch and has 1,200 watts of available power
- more than twice the power of the original satellites.
These satellites in turn are being replaced by Series 3 satellites - the first of which was launched in
1996, and by now, the fourth and last should be in position. These are a lot more powerful again -
eight times the power of the Series 2, and some twenty times as powerful as the originals. In addition
to the global beam, each of these new satellites has five spot-beams. These are focused onto specific
areas of the earth, just as a searchlight might be. This not only focuses the energy into smaller areas,
so allowing operation at much lower energy levels, but it also allows the same frequency to be used at
the same time in different areas but through the same satellite. This increases the scope for greater
numbers of calls to be carried at any given moment. This spot-beam technology, with its lower energy
requirement, has opened the door to the possibility of a global portable phone system.
The newer satellites can also support a special type of EPIRB called the Inmarsat-E type. With the
EPIRB service there are now six Inmarsat services which may be of interest to the mariner. Each
service has its own merits and disadvantages. For compulsory GMDSS vessels, not all of the systems
can be GMDSS certified. Let's look at each system in turn.
Inmarsat A
 This is the old original Analogue system, which began operation in 1982.
Although A is now classed as rather old technology, new stations are still
joining the system, and there are now some 22,000 mobile stations of various
sorts operating Inmarsat A.

Inmarsat-A can support two-way telephone, telex, fax, E-mail and with the
High Speed Data option, it can support data transmission up to 64 kilobits per
second. In addition to supporting simultaneous two-way data transmission,
the HSD option can be used for the transmission of still pictures and
compressed video pictures or for video conference calls. Inmarsat-A can
support Enhanced Group Calling - the reception of Maritime Safety
Information which can be sent to 'All Stations', or to a group of vessels, or to
vessels in a specific region. The ability to receive EGC is a pre-requisite for
GMDSS certification. Some Inmarsat-A terminals will require the fitting of an
external EGC receiver for reception of these MSIs.
 The mobile station communicates with the satellite on frequencies in the L-
band - 1.5 to 1.6 GHz (remember, that is 1,600 MHz, or 1,600,000 kHz). The
satellite in turn communicates with the LES on frequencies in the C- band - 4
to 6 GHz.

There are two principle drawbacks to the Inmarsat-A system - it is the most
expensive of all of them in terms of call charges, and because it uses high
bandwidth and relatively low power, it needs a large parabolic antenna. On
board a vessel at sea, this antenna must be kept constantly pointed at the
satellite regardless of how the vessel moves. This requires gyroscopes, motors
and considerable power. A typical marine Inmarsat-A antenna is housed in a
dome up to one and a half metres in diameter, and weighs around a hundred
kilos.
The Inmarsat-A service comprises 3 components:
 The mobile-earth station (MES): An Inmarsat-A terminal is a small,
selfcontained satellite earth station comprising a lightweight parabolic
antenna, electronic units, power supply interface, and direct-dial telephone,
fax and telex connections.
 The satellites: The transmission and reception of signals are cocoordinated by
four network co-ordination stations (NCS), one for each satellite coverage
region - Atlantic Ocean East and West, Indian Ocean and Pacific Ocean.
 The Land-Earth station (LES): A call from a mobile or transportable Inmarsat-
A terminal is routed via the Inmarsat satellite system to a land earth station
(LES) for connection to the national and international phone and data
networks.
Terminals receive and transmit in the L-band (1.5/1.6GHz). Each NCS monitors
the flow of communications traffic through its satellite to ensure that calls are
set up correctly and that all LES’s are working correctly.
TERMINALS – Product Description:
 The maritime terminals typically consist of the above-deck equipment
comprising the stabilized antenna (enabling it to stay locked onto the satellite
even in heavy sea conditions) and the below-deck equipment comprising the
telephone, telex, fax and data interfaces. A number of models also feature a
High Speed Data (HSD) option, capable of supporting data rates of up to
64kbit/sec.
(E) Range of Options & Value Added Services:
 1. The MES interfaces can be connected to onboard data modems, PABX’s that
route voice, fax or data calls to / from crew cabins, radio room and bridge.
 2. Local Area Network (LAN) facilities can be setup via a server that interfaces
to the medium or high-speed data ports of the terminal for sophisticated
remote or mobile office operations.
 3. Variety of cordless, DECT, encryption and other middleware can be deployed
for specific benefits.
(F) APPLICATIONS:
 Inmarsat provides the vital “missing link” in providing communications between
ship and shore, anytime, virtually anywhere, TODAY! Inmarsat-A has been
meeting the satellite communications needs of oceangoing ships for over 20 years.
 Crews of some 18,000 ships operating super oil tankers, merchant ships, cruise
liners, fishing trawlers and even leisure yachts use Inmarsat-A (and other
services) for Commercial, Operational, Social and Safety & Distress
communications.
Primary areas where Shipping Companies are using advanced
communication capabilities to achieve their objectives:
Data Communications – The Basics:
Data communications via Inmarsat-A can support 3 types of services:
 1. Medium-speed data services at rates of 9600 and even upto 19200 bps with good shore-side
connections.
 2. High-Speed data services at rates of 56 or 64 Kbps
 3. Facsimile services at medium or high speed data rates.
1. Medium Speed Data communications:
 1. Requires a modem, a PC and suitable communications software (Usually built-in Windows
operating systems). For Internet access you will also need to subscribe to an internet service provider.
 2. An Inmarsat-A terminal that offers a suitable interface for plugging in your modem or fax. Usually a
2-wire interface via a telephone adapter (usually RJ45).
 3. A fully functioning and well maintained Inmarsat-A equipment capable of operating the necessary
fax/data channels (Uncompanded call type 02).
 4. An appropriate LES service provider that offers the inter-connectivity required to successfully route
the call to your destination via the most effective terrestrial network.
2. High Speed Data Communications:
 1. In place of the modem, you will need a digital encoder and modulator thatin many cases have been
integrated into the Inmarsat-A MES itself.
 2. This offers a range of interfaces for connecting your PC equipment toincluding CCITT V.35, RS-422
and the ISDN-type CCITT V.36.
 3. Your Inmarsat-A terminal should have been provided with the appropriate HSD modem by the
manufacturer to support this service.
 4. An appropriate LES service provider that offers leased line or ISDN interconnectivity required to
successfully route the high-speed call to your destination.
 5. Requires appropriate activation from the LESO and Inmarsat.
Hardware / Software Considerations for Developers:
 Users must understand the following special features regarding the
HSD service:
 •Satellite delay time is 270 ms for a single hop. This delay can be further
increased if the interconnection with the terrestrial network happens
to be a fixed satellite link.
 •Potential data-rate asymmetry when using HSD means that data
packets or blocks in the return direction (MES to LES) should be kept
very short.
 •The communications protocol should allow a sufficient number of
outstanding data blocks so that the high-speed path does not have to
pause to wait for acknowledgments.
 •The standard HDLC protocol is adequate in most cases. Highest
throughput will only be obtained if selective-repeat (rather than go-
back-N) protocols are used in combination with extended frame
numbering.
3. Facsimile Data Communications:
 1. In place of the modem (digital encoder / modulator) you will need a
Facsimile machine that has been recommended (by the MES manufacturer) to
operate successfully across the Inmarsat network.
 2. PC integrated fax devices can work but once again you need to ensure that
cheaper equivalents are not being used. For High-Speed Fax at 64 Kbps your
will need a Group IV Fax machine. This will need to connect to a Fax port
provided by the 64 Kbps adapters.
 3. The fax machine is connected to the same ports as used for data
communications. An Inmarsat-A terminal offers a suitable interface for
plugging in your modem or fax. Usually a 2-wire interface via a telephone
adapter (usually RJ45).
 4. A fully functioning and well maintained Inmarsat-A equipment that is
capable of operating the necessary fax/data channels (Uncompanded call type
02).
 5. A LES service provider that offers the appropriate inter-connectivity required
to successfully route the call to your destination via the most effective
terrestrial network.

Data Communications – Optimizing:
 To get the most out of your investment, you should optimize your system. It is
recommended that all modifications, upgrades or replacements of satellite or PC
equipment done, be undertaken by someone who is experienced and/or qualified
in data communications & Inmarsat networks.
 Your terminal manufacturer and/or preferred service provider will be able to
recommend suitable modems, interfaces and connection equipment or software.
 The key parameters to take into account to assess the effectiveness of your data
communications links are:
 •Effective data throughput of your link
 •Percentage of successful connections achieved
 •Amount of overheads per communications session. These include
 Application, transfer and network overheads.
Inmarsat B
 Inmarsat-B is the newer digital version of the analogue Inmarsat-A. (A for
Analogue and B for Binary!) The digital technology makes better use of the
bandwidth and the satellite power which results in lower call charges, although
the initial equipment cost is higher than for A.

It is possible for larger vessels to be fitted with an extra large, high-gain


antenna. This can operate with much lower satellite power and so call charges
using this system are about half the normal B charges. However, even the
normal B antenna is large, virtually identical to the dome of an A system, so the
extra large antenna can really only be fitted to big commercial ships where
space and weight are not a consideration. Inmarsat-B supports direct-dial
telephone, fax and telex calls, and with the High Speed Data link, simultaneous
two-way high speed data can be transferred, including pictures and video.

It is the intention for Inmarsat-B to supersede A, but it is likely that both


systems will coexist for a number of years. At the present time B does not
support Enhanced Group Calling for the reception of Maritime Safety
Information, and so it cannot be GMDSS approved for compulsory vessels. A
compulsory GMDSS vessel equipped with Inmarsat-B could either fit a stand-
alone EGC receiver or an Inmarsat-C system for reception of the MSIs.
Inmarsat C
 Inmarsat-C supports only data transmission, not voice. It does allow Enhanced Group
Calling, and it is the system of choice for compliance with the GMDSS. Data is
transferred at a rate of 600 bits/second and call harges are based on the number of bits of
data transferred. Inmarsat-C terminals are suitable for almost any size of vessel. The
power requirement is minimal, the unit itself is normally a small 'black box' which is
interfaced with a computer, and best of all, the antenna is a very small fixed antenna -
there are no big and power hungry gyros, just a little, plastic, fixed antenna, similar to
that used by GPS navigation receivers.
 There are several different services which Inmarsat-C offers:
 Two way messaging
 The normal method of communication on Inmarsat-C is by store-and-forward telex.
Messages up to 32 kilobytes - probably about 6,000 words, can be sent in either direction.
Messages from the mobile station are transmitted via the satellite to an appropriate Land
Earth Station. The data is sent in packets to the LES where it is reassembled into the
complete message. The message is then sent to the addressee by the national or
international telecommunications network. It can be delivered to a fax, telex or E-mail
address, or failing any of these, the message can be printed and be sent by mail. Messages
sent in the reverse direction can be sent to an individual vessel, or simultaneously to a
group of vessels.
 Polling and data reporting
Polling allows a shore station to interrogate a mobile station at any time. Such
polling will trigger the automatic transmission of the required pre-
programmed information. Such information could be the position of the
vessel, its course and speed, or the read-out of any on-board sensors. Data
reporting allows for the automatic transmission of short packets of information
at axed pre-arranged intervals.

 Position reporting
An Inmarsat-C terminal can easily be interfaced with a wide variety of
navigation systems such as Decca, Loran or GPS. The derived position can be
transmitted automatically at fixed intervals or on demand.

 Distress alerting
Marine Inmarsat-C terminals are equipped with a special facility, which when
activated, automatically generates and transmits a priority distress message to
the Rescue Co-ordination Centre. If the terminal is linked to a navigational
system, the message will automatically include the position of the vessel.
 Enhanced Group Calling

 This is the feature of Inmarsat-C which makes it so valuable to the


GMDSS. Using EGG, messages can be sent to groups of vessels, via
SafetyNET or FleetNET.

 SafetyNET provides an efficient and low cost method of sending


Maritime Safety Information to vessels at sea. The messages can be
restricted to individual vessels, or to vessels in a particular georgafic
area. This service is used by meteorological and hydrographic
authorities for issuing forecasts or warnings, as well as by Coast Guard
and Search and Rescue centres for disseminating MSIs, and for co-
ordinating rescue in a distress situation.

 FleetNET is a commercial service which allows the sending of messages


to a virtually unlimited number of terminals simultaneously. This could
be all the vessels in a particular race, or perhaps all the vessels
belonging to one company. It could even be everybody who subscribes
to a particular service, such as stock exchange reports or specialised
weather analyses.
Bibliography
 http://www.marinetelecom.net/Inmarsat-Satellite-
System.html
 http://www.inmarsat.com/
 http://www.stratosglobal.com/
 http://www. wikipedia.org/
 http://weather.gmdss.org/inmarsat.html

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