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Mobile Satellite communications is considered the most effective and reliable platform for communications during emergencies. With Hurricane Irene creating havoc in the east coast of U.S., LightSquared and Inmarsat have joined hands to support the hurricane Irene’s emergency responders.

Wireless communications are the best sought-after communication option during emergency response, rescue, or relief situation. However, terrestrial wireless hardware such as cell phones or land mobile radios are useful and operative only when communications towers and other fixed equipment are in place, which is unlikely during natural calamities.

Satellite communications is the best solution during chaotic situations, because satellites are the only wireless communications infrastructure that are not susceptible to damage from disasters, for the reason that the main repeaters sending and receiving signals (the satellite spacecraft) are located outside the Earth’s atmosphere.

According to a press release, LightSquared and Inmarsat have joined forces to ensure that their respective emergency services customers have reliable access to indispensable satellite communications to support their Hurricane Irene relief efforts.

“Given the tremendous impact Hurricane Irene has had on the east coast of the United States, it is vital that first responders have unfettered access to reliable communications,” said Sanjiv Ahuja, chairman and chief executive officer of LightSquared, in a statement. “LightSquared, working with Inmarsat (News – Alert), is committed to ensuring that those on the front lines of this national emergency have seamless connectivity with one another.”

“During emergencies such as Hurricane Irene, reliable satellite communications is essential for emergency responders and government agencies,” said Andrew Sukawaty, chairman and chief executive officer of Inmarsat, in a press release. “Together with LightSquared we have moved rapidly to ensure that we have sufficient capacity to support emergency management agencies and first responders.”

As the nation’s first integrated 4G-LTE wireless broadband and satellite network, LightSquared has an aim to advance the U.S. wireless industry. Lightsquared deploys an open 4G wireless broadband network to be used by existing as well as new service providers to sell their own devices, applications and services – at a competitive cost.

Inmarsat is a provider of worldwide mobile satellite communications services. They have been offering reliable voice and high-speed data communications to government and it’s agencies, enterprises and other organizations, with a range of services that can be used on land, at sea or in the air, since 1979.

Currently, two kinds of satellite communications networks exist to support emergency response activities: geostationary satellite systems (GEO); and low Earth orbit satellites (LEO). The GEO satellites are located 23,269 miles above the Earth in a fixed position. This coverage provided by both Inmarsat and Lightsquared satellites, cover up to one third of the globe. They are capable of providing a full range of communications services, such as voice, video and high speed broadband data.

Inmarsat, the world’s leading provider of mobile satellite communications, is especially proud to sponsor the work of Télécoms Sans Frontières, the French charity which deploys emergency teams for the purpose of restoring communications in disaster zones. Inmarsat supplies TSF with free satellite communications equipment and financial support which enables the organization to provide telephone, fax, email, internet, data and image transmission any where on the planet regardless of the circumstances.

TSF sets up telecom centers and helps co-ordinate first responders’ relief efforts, enabling survivors to telephone loved-ones to say they’re alive. TSF is excited to announce the recent signing of a ground-breaking agreement with the United Nations establishing the charity as the UN’s principal communications provider in disaster situations.

In 2007, Inmarsat’s support for TSF was recognised with a top award for corporate social responsibility at the annual the Gulf Marketing Review Effectiveness in Marketing Awards, held in Dubai. The award focused on their support for the charity’s mission during the conflict inLebanon in 2006, in which more than 1,000 Lebanese and 160 Israelis were killed and an estimated 1 million people had to flee their homes.

Supported by Inmarsat’s equipment and technical expertise, TSF teams set up telecoms centers that enabled more than 600 Lebanese families to make contact with their loved-ones. These centers also helped co-ordinate communications for some 22 relief organisations working in the region.

Other missions where TSF and Inmarsat contributed to saving lives include:

February 2008 – Mozambique floods
Flooding in the Zambezi River basin saw an estimated 100,000 people flee their homes. In support of UNICEF, TSF was there, setting up two communication centers, co-ordinating relief operations and enabling victims the opportunity to contact loved-ones.

November 2007 – Bangladesh hit by cyclone
TSF supported relief efforts in Bangladesh after Cyclone Sidr hit, affecting 30 of the country’s 64 districts. Countless homes were destroyed, claiming more than 3,000 lives and leaving over 350,000 people without shelter.

September 2007 – Nicaragua hurricane
Hurricane Felix left a trail of destruction that affected an estimated 162,000 Nicaraguans, damaging more than 10,000 homes and leaving 67 people dead and another 110 missing.

September 2007 – Severe flooding in Ghana
Thousands of homes were destroyed by heavy flooding. Large areas of cropland were ruined, leading to the collapse of several major bridges – killing 20 and affecting more than 260,000 people.

August 2007 – Earthquake shakes coastline of Peru
Measuring 7.9 on the Richter scale, an earthquake struck the coastline nearPeru’s capital,Lima, killing more than 500 people and leaving tens of thousands homeless.

May 2007 – Uruguay hit by worst floods in 50 years
A national disaster was declared following the most severe floods in half a century. 12,000 people were forced to flee their homes. Crops and infrastructure were devastated.

April 2007 – Tsunami strikes Solomon Islands
An undersea earthquake measuring 8.1 on the Richter scale triggered a tsunami that pounded the remote Pacific islands in the Solomons. 35 people were killed and some 5,500 were left homeless.

February 2007 – Double blow for Mozambique
Severe flooding left an estimated 90,000 people homeless following a category 4 tropical cyclone. Another 60,000 people were in need of shelter.

May 2006 – Earthquake kills thousands on Java
An earthquake measuring 6.2 on the Richter scale struck theIsland of Java, killing almost 6,000 people and leaving an estimated 1.5 million homeless.

May 2006 – Floods in Surinam
Torrential rains caused several major rivers to flood in southern and central Surinam,South America. 37,000 people were left homeless.

February 2006 – Mudslides in the Philippines
Prolonged heavy rain followed by a minor earthquake caused a series of mudslides in the province of Southern Leyte in the Philippines. Hundreds of people were killed, including almost all the children and staff of a village school.

October 2005 – Earthquake in Pakistan
An earthquake measuring 7.6 on the Richter scale in Pakistan-administered Kashmir killed more than 90,000 people – mostly in remote mountainous areas.

Iridium Communications Inc has just announced its vision for the future of mobile satellite communications, Iridium Force™. This vision uses the power of the world’s furthest reaching network to accelerate the development of enhanced personal communication capabilities for people and organizations everywhere. Iridium Force breaks the mold of traditional satellite industry go-to-market strategies by making Iridium technology more accessible and cost-effective for partners to develop a wider range of Iridium-based products and services. This new vision opens the licensing of core Iridium technologies as well as the company’s most fundamental offering – global connectivity.

Five key tenets guide the Iridium Force strategy:

1. Extend beyond satellite phones: Iridium is enabling communications where people need them most, and in more ways than they expect, and connecting to Wi-Fi-enabled devices such as smartphones (BlackBerry®, Android® or Apple iPhone®), tablets and laptops, as well as favorite applications, far beyond the reach of terrestrial networks;

2. Simplify connections: Iridium is investing in making its technology more accessible and cost-effective for partners to embed across an ever-widening range of services;

3. Drive innovation: Iridium is opening and licensing its core technologies and its network so it can collaborate with a broader set of innovators to create new solutions for expanding new markets;

4. Enable location-awareness: Iridium is integrating GPS location-based services for on-the-go location-specific applications and personal security capabilities; and

5. Perform without compromise: Iridium continues its promise to provide tough, dependable, truly mobile devices and services that work reliably everywhere on the surface of the planet.

Iridium pioneered the satellite phone industry more than 10 years ago with the first handheld, commercial satellite phone,‖ said Matt Desch, CEO, Iridium. ―With Iridium Force, we are leading an industry transformation once again by significantly extending the universe of handheld connectivity options. Iridium Force is our strategic vision for rapidly connecting more people in ways never thought possible – even going beyond the limits of our own devices. Iridium Force is more than the launch of a new satellite phone; it signifies our commitment to enable powerful new capabilities including those devices that are already in customers’ hands to work on the Iridium network – today and in the future.‖

New product and service offerings being announced today encompassing Iridium Force include:

Voice and Data Products

Iridium Extreme™ – Iridium Force has inspired the introduction of the most advanced, rugged satellite handset on the market. Iridium Extreme is the smallest and lightest Iridium handset model, with the ability to precisely locate users anywhere on the surface of the planet. It meets stringent U.S. Department of Defense Military Standard 810F for durability and is rich in capabilities, featuring the first dedicated, two-way emergency SOS button on a satellite phone. The phone leads the market in its offering of online tracking portals, with fully integrated GPS and location-based service (LBS) capabilities for web-based location identification and tracking of friends, loved ones or employees. Iridium Extreme delivers reliability, safety and peace of mind everywhere.

Iridium Core 9523 – This voice and data module is the ―brains‖ of the Iridium Extreme satellite phone. The Iridium Core 9523 is a sophisticated and flexible device packaged into a small and cost-effective platform for partners to develop new Iridium-based handheld solutions. Iridium is licensing this core technology to innovators who require the building blocks to develop their own Iridium-based global voice and data communication devices and solutions. A number of our partners are already developing products and services surrounding the Iridium Core 9523.

Location-Based Services (LBS) Data Offerings

Iridium Tracking Portals – Customers can now access location monitoring, messaging and safety tools enabled by the Iridium Extreme satellite phone. More than 17 of our partners are creating customized online tracking portals developed using Iridium’s open software platform. Portal features include tracking an Iridium Extreme user’s real-time status and location, zooming to street level via online maps, scheduling regular check-ins, providing emergency services, ―geo-fencing,‖ and sending free-form, canned and social networking messages.

Wi-Fi Products and Services

Iridium is also introducing new products and services that will allow Wi-Fi-enabled smartphones, tablets and laptops to connect anywhere on the Iridium global network.

Iridium AxcessPoint – Wi-Fi-enabled smartphones, tablets and laptops will be able to connect anywhere through the Iridium network. Iridium AxcessPoint is a portable and lightweight Wi-Fi hotspot accessory that easily connects BlackBerry and Android devices to the Iridium network using an Iridium Extreme or Iridium 9555 satellite phone. iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch devices, and Windows and Mac laptops, will need to download the new, free

Iridium AxcessPoint Mail & Web application. Iridium AxcessPoint is expected to be available in fourth quarter of 2011 with a suggested retail price of less than $200 (USD).

Recognizing that a hand held satellite telephone is now a viable, potentially life saving accessory for wilderness driving and exploration, Land Rover Owner International magazine decided to subject two of the leading models to some rigorous testing to see which one offered the most worthwhile investment for its adventurous readers. Testing pitted Iridium’s model 9555 against Inmarsat’s recently launched IsatPhone Pro in a variety of independent trials, analyzing ease of use, clarity of transmission, battery life, reliability and value for the money.

The two phones were taken to Wales, as well as to Arizona and Utah in the US, where they were challenged with maintaining contact with a base location while operating over a wide variety of terrain, including mountains, valleys, forests, a high rise city center and, of course, moving vehicles. The IsatPhone Pro outscored the 9555 in every category except ease of use, where both phones were determined to be equal.

Tests found it difficult to have an extended conversation with the 9555 in built up areas or mountainous terrain due to the phones tendency to “drop” calls. The report also notes:

“The IsatPhone Pro wins in battery life and in high-rise urban areas, where we found that the high altitude of the Inmarsat network generally gave better reception once we had found the right place to stand.”

Russ Brown, the magazines technology editor concludes: “For the purchaser the most significant difference is price, with the Iridium 9555 being almost twice as expensive to buy and use.”

A photojournalist tested out IsatPhone Pro’s credentials when he took Inmarsat’s global handheld satellite phone on a road trip through one of the world’s last great wildernesses, the Kimberley region of Western Australia covering nearly 164,000 square miles.

Neerav Bhatt, whose Rambling Thoughts technology blog is one of the most popular in Australia, decided to see how iSatPhone Pro would cope with the heat and dust in the continent’s remote north-west frontier.

For travellers and those who live in the Kimberley region, satellite communications can be the only reliable method of contacting the outside world.

So Neerav was keen to investigate the satellite phone’s affordability as well.

Before being supplied with an IsatPhone Pro by Inmarsat he admitted: “I expected it to be big, heavy and thought the phone and usage costs would be quite expensive.”

But, as he recorded in his blog: “Surprisingly, the phone handset is not huge – it’s comparable to an early-generation cordless home phone – and the cost of buying an IsatPhone Pro in Australia is quite comparable to the cost of buying a mid- to high-end 3G smartphone on a prepay account.

“I found calls to landlines were more reliable and had better audio quality than calls to mobile phones.”

Sending video updates to the expedition website, Impossible2Possible Expedition Bolivia used Inmarsat’s BGAN Service to broadcast live chemistry experiments to schools across North America during a run across the Salar de Uyni salt flats in the Bolivian Andes. The Salar de Uyni salt flats are the largest salt flats in the world. During the 7 day expedition the students ran 200km (124 miles), crossing the massive 4,085 square miles of the salt flats. Expedition Boliviais the fourth adventure run by the Impossible2Possible Experiential Learning Program, known for providing online educational support to schools around the world.

Dubbed “youth Ambassadors’, Ray Zahab, the program founder, invited five students to run across the salt flats at altitudes of up to 4,572 meters (15,000 ft). The students were joined by Dr. George Agnes, a chemistry professor from Simon Fraser University in California and Dr Greg Wells, an expert in human physiology from Toronto. In celebration of the International Year of Chemistry, the scientists conducted live experiments designed to explain the natural elements of Salar de Uyuni – including the properties of salt and the effect of high altitude on the human body. Using BGAN X-Stream to stream live video, the GUARANTEED data rates from 384 up to 450kbps provided the speeds necessary to share the experiments with thousands of students in real time.

“BGAN has provided us with exceptional broadband connectivity in the harsh Siberian wilderness, the Tunisian desert and now the remote Andes,” said Zahab. I’m continually impressed by the system’s durability and reliability, which has helped us bring our message of education, inspiration and empowerment to millions worldwide.”

During the expedition Inmarsat also provided a range of value-added services including its BGAN Dashboard to monitor and control airtime usage, and GPS tracking to follow the expedition and ensure their safety

Intentions for new and enhanced products and services

BGAN M2M service

Inmarsat is planning to launch a new BGAN machine to machine (M2M) platform and service consisting of new user terminals that can access the BGAN M2M services and new pricing.

The intent is to address more fully the market opportunity for users that require a low cost terminal specifically designed for data reporting / SCADA applications with unmanned functionality and reliability. BGAN M2M terminals will be based on either Class1 or 2 functionality and will be packet switched only. Service introduction for BGAN M2M with the HNS9502 is intended for February 2012.

IsatPhone Pro – personal alerting feature

Inmarsat is designing a personal alerting feature for IsatPhone Pro. For the consumer market, this functionality is for peace of mind; for the corporate market, demand is driven by duty of care by employers, and in some instances, it is a legal requirement that lone workers in remote areas have a means of contact. The personal alert feature is incorporated into the IsatPhone Pro man machine interface menu structure. As with most alerting features, it is a two step procedure, i.e. on activating the alert, the handset would query and then the user would confirm the action.

This new feature is intended for release by December 2011.

Multi-voice on FleetBroadband

The multi-voice service will be offered by Inmarsat to fulfill the strong market demand for additional voice lines on FleetBroadband, especially for segregation of bridge communication from other operational or crew calling facilities. This enhanced voice service now allows up to 9 voice calls supporting the standard range of supplementary services offered for existing telephony voice service. In particular, each additional call will be allocated a unique number and be fully interoperable with short code dialling and pre-paid platforms.

The Inmarsat multi-voice service will be enabled across existing and new FleetBroadband terminals subject to implementation by the manufacturer (Thrane confirmed that they will do it). Existing terminals will require either a firmware upgrade or an external multi-voice PBX to support the service. On the network ground infrastructure, the BGAN platform is being upgraded with packetized voice infrastructure and new billing subsystem capabilities to offer this service enhancement.

This capability will be offered as two options during SIM activation, a standard multi-voice option providing four voice lines and an enhanced multi-voice option providing 9 voice lines. The enhanced multi-voice option is available for FleetBroadband users with a FleetBroadband 250 or a FleetBroadband 500 terminal.

The multi-voice service is intended to become available from April 2012.

Dynamic telemetry service (DTS) for FleetBroadband

Inmarsat is developing a new dynamic telemetry service (DTS) data reporting service for FleetBroadband in response to maritime requirements. The FleetBroadband DTS service will enable a range of services from position reporting to engine monitoring as well as many other applications. The FleetBroadband DTS service represents a step change in data polling capabilities from Inmarsat C or Isat Data Pro services. The roll-out of FleetBroadband DTS services will require a firmware upgrade for existing FleetBroadband terminals that will be made available by FleetBroadband manufacturers.

Inmarsat intends service availability in early 2012 with selected hardware manufacturers. We are currently evaluating this service and when/if we will be supporting it.

The award-winning Broadband Global Area Network (BGAN) provides simultaneous voice and data globally. The network offers a range of guaranteed and on-demand IP streaming rates. The BGAN service is particularly useful for people working in areas with little or no terrestrial connectivity. Such people include live broadcast media, scientists looking for mineral deposits, and utility companies.

The Hughes 9201-M2M satellite IP terminal is a single-box, SCADA-ready, machine-to-machine terminal designed for use with BGAN services. Several features make the Hughes 9201-M2M ideal for use by the oil, gas, water, and utility industries. The terminal is easily packaged for continuous monitoring and control of remote sites, including well automation, pipeline monitoring, and utility SmartGrid such as SmartMeter backhaul, distribution automation, and substation SCADA. Additionally, the device provides immediate connectivity, is built to operate in extreme weather conditions. Additionally, because it is compact and versatile, the Hughes 9201-M2M is a highly secure and cost-effective solution for a wide range of sites handling kilobytes, megabytes, or gigabytes of data.

The 9201-M2M facilitates end-to-end IP communications supporting TCP and UDP traffic with essential IP SCADA benefits and features. These include:

• Auto Context Activation, which automatically establishes a data context with the network for the user device connected to the Hughes 9201-M2M. The user device can set up the automatic context with either a static local IP address or a dynamic DHCP local IP address;
• Auto On/Auto Power Cycle, which permits the Hughes 9201-M2M to automatically restore power to itself and turn back on if the site loses power or experiences a power interruption;
• Point Once, which provides the installer with a quick and easy method of installing, pointing, and activating the terminal. This feature prevents the need for a laptop in the field;
• 24/7 Keep Alive Link Supervision, which is designed to enable the Hughes 9201-M2M to supervise and maintain the data connection. The supervision occurs even when inactivity occurs for over 12 hours so that the customer’s remote terminal unit does not have to facilitate the task;

The IP Watchdog, which monitors the health of the data connection and takes various steps to keep it active. The terminal will initiate a reboot command to get back online if the data connection goes down and nothing is able to re-establish the connection; and The internal battery backup, which is an optional feature for backup power should the power at the site fail.

These features make the Hughes 9201-M2M ideal for various oil, gas, and water applications. These applications include well data collection such as electronic flow management, pressure, and custody transfer data reading; remote monitoring and control of the compressor responsible for pushing high volumes of natural gas through the pipeline; and the transfer of critical and time-sensitive command and control instructions to downhole systems. Such features permit engineers to access sites remotely, without having to dispatch personnel, which preserves resources.

Additionally, the Hughes 9201-M2M is currently being adopted and deployed for a variety of utility solutions. These include:

• An advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) Smart Meter Backhaul, by which thousands of residential and business wireless smart meters send usage data back to a collector point;
• Distribution Automation, which permits the Hughes 9201-M2M to be deployed at utility poles to enable control of SmartGrid infrastructure such as reclosers, fault indicators, and capacitor banks;
• Substation Communications, which dramatically enhance communication link availability at a substation so that the Hughes 9201-M2M can operate as the backup when the primary line fails;
• Disaster-Preparedness or Business Continuity Solutions, which permit use of the Hughes 9201-M2M for critical communications during the recovery period immediately following a catastrophic event that interrupts utility services.

As one of the most exciting and dangerous competitions in the world, the Volvo Ocean Race has become a must-see for anyone who has a passion for sailing. Leg One of the 2011-12 race has commenced with six of the best sailing crews on the globe leaving Alicante, Spain with their eye aimed directly at Cape Town, South Africa. The nine month long race, made up of an equal number of legs, is figured to garner a viewership of 2 billion people, making this a high-stakes event for the crew, its sponsors, and the companies who provide the equipment that enable these boats to reach the limits of their potential. One of the most vital aspects of a teams success is taking advantage of leading communication technology. This has been an issue for sailors since the beginning, but now, with the help of Inmarsat’s FleetBroadband Marine Satellite Communications, these difficulties are becoming a thing of the past.

You could say that sailing is somewhat of a beautiful contradiction these days. Although its primary function: “propulsion of a boat using sails” is still the most integral part of the sport, the introduction of new methods, material and ideas to help increase speed, safety and efficiency of the crew has kept the sport at the cutting edge of technology. Not only are boats turning into F1 race-cars with regard to the advanced make-up and build, but also with analytics and communication. Top yachts can track their progress and make adjustments real-time using on-board systems that analyze every aspect.

The Volvo Ocean Race in particular demands the best from the crews competing and requires a boat that is outfitted with the most advanced technology to date, not the least of which is satellite communications. Luckily for the crews, FleetBroadband Marine Satellite Communications is giving them all the tools necessary to complete the race faster and safer than ever. Launched in 2007, FleetBroadband provides telephone and internet simultaneously through a highly compact antennae anywhere in the world. It is the first marine satellite services system to simultaneously provide voice and high speed data service to any body of water around the globe.

Delivered via the most advanced commercial communications satellites ever launched, Inmarsat’s FleetBroadband allows you to send and receive email with large file attachments, comfortably run complex data applications and make voice calls at the same time, more affordably than ever before. Regardless of the type of size of the vessel, FleetBroadband offers a compact solution that can easily be accommodated, providing the boat with optimal connectivity, no matter what the conditions, or where you are.The system is easy to install, allows immediate network integration, enables total flexibility, is cost-effective, and offers complete security.

Not only are your communications instantly upgraded, but fans can feel more connected to the race itself by being able to receive live videos, photos, and blogs in real-time. This interactive process will surely help the sport gain new audiences wherever internet access is available. Allowing those who would not have previously been able to view the race to watch the grand spectacle is a positive for everyone involved.

As the competitors round the Cape of Good Hope and continue pushing the limits of their sport, all while traversing the globe, they have a certain confidence in the factors that used to be unpredictable and inefficient. With proper maritime communication systems, our Volvo Ocean Race crews can feel safe and confident that they have the resources to do great things.

As our infrastructure continues to grow and new smart grids are introduced, utility companies are finding they have more options than ever before. The smart grid has the potential for revolutionizing the way we produce, as well as consume, electricity.

With these advancements, utility companies have a much better chance of successfully operating remote sites. In the past, the ability to implement proper remote sites has been issue for many companies due to the lack of technology. For the last century, utility companies have had to commit a great deal of manpower and time towards collecting data through traditional means, which made operating remote sites very difficult. As the new smart grid is implemented, efficiently run remote sites have started to become much more viable options.

But even though companies are able to take advantage of smart grids, some glaring issues still remain. With remote sites and large distances, the business of utilities has actually become more complicated in certain aspects, with communications being one of the major problem areas.

Fortunately for many companies looking to keep operations at peak levels, technology has already been developed which allows for seamless communications. The Broadband Global Area Network (BGAN) was designed to allow companies to continue working efficiently, even when their sites of operation are widely dispersed or have little or no terrestrial connectivity.

BGAN is the worlds first simultaneous voice and high speed data (broadband) mobile satellite communications service available around the globe. It is portable, extremely user-friendly and allows for guaranteed data rates on demand.

Many of its terminals, such as the popular Hughes 9201-M2M satellite IP, are single box, and SCADA-ready. The terminal is simply packaged to enable continuous monitoring and control of remote sites, including well automation, pipeline monitoring, and utility SmartGrid such as SmartMeter backhaul, distribution automation, and substations SCADA. In addition, the device allows for instant connectivity, and has a tough exterior built for adverse weather conditions. Being compact and versatile, the terminals are a secure and cost-effective solution for handling large amounts of data. BGAN M2M is an ideal solution for remote site management.

As the global market place continues to evolve and become more competitive, it is vital to partner with companies that provide the best technology for your communication needs. With the help of BGAN, your company will be able to achieve its goals and thrive.