Inmarsat To Preview Technologies That Will Transform Newsgathering at IBC 2012

LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Inmarsat (LSE:ISAT.L), the leading provider of global mobile satellite communications services, today announced the highlights to be featured on its stand - Hall 2.C28 - at IBC 2012 where it will demonstrate the capabilities of existing solutions and preview the revolutionary possibilities enabled by new satellites and services to be launched from next year.

“We are the only mobile satellite provider to be making such a huge investment in new technologies and services. The benefits to broadcasters and their operations will include an array of new services and faster communications that will transform newsgathering”

Higher Data Rate streaming will provide speeds in excess of 600 kbps with a new BGAN terminal to be available in the second half of 2013.
The new Alphasat I-XL satellite will enhance L-band service capabilities across Europe, Middle East and Africa, providing even faster streaming performance.
Global Xpress^® network deployment starts in 2013, with full, global service expected by end 2014. At IBC 2012, Inmarsat will unveil a Global Xpress terminal for the first time.

“We are the only mobile satellite provider to be making such a huge investment in new technologies and services. The benefits to broadcasters and their operations will include an array of new services and faster communications that will transform newsgathering,” said Martin Turner, Inmarsat Director of Media Business.

HDR streaming combined with improvements in video encoding will result in a dramatic increase in live video quality, and enable significant enhancements to BGAN streaming performance. All the while, users will benefit from the portability and ease of use that are the hallmarks of the BGAN service. Even faster performance will be possible under the footprint of Alphasat I-XL, which will cover Africa, Europe and the Middle East.

These enhancements are a precursor to the capabilities enabled by future Ka-band services that will be introduced by Inmarsat's game-changing Global Xpress^® network Its deployment starts in 2013 with its first launch, with full, global service available by end 2014. Global Xpress will offer unprecedented satellite broadband coverage and flexibility on a range of terminals. The IBC preview will be followed by a formal launch in October.

Inmarsat will also highlight the power of its existing BGAN services. Its stand will be divided into two environments, with broadcasters’ base operations represented on one side and broadcasting from the field on the other side, featuring Inmarsat’s ‘backpack broadcasting’. One of the key highlights will be the demonstration of BGAN’s capabilities as the hub around which a field operation can be built.

Partner demonstrations at IBC

Demonstrating that cellular bonding presents an opportunity for Inmarsat’s partners, the stand will feature 2connect-IT’s BMW motorbike that combines a BGAN terminal and a 3G modem. The bike was developed as a hybrid ‘broadcast-on-the-move’ concept that could be used for radio commentary during an at-speed event such as the Tour de France, for example.

Another Inmarsat partner, Livewire Digital, will preview the visible image quality improvements when next-generation video encoding at HDR streaming speeds becomes available. Livewire calculates that this will achieve a 70% improvement over today’s H.264 Advanced Video Coding. To emphasise the improvement and to allow visitors to compare and contrast the quality, today’s H.264 video will be shown next to the HDR preview. Livewire Digital will also have two new iPhone apps and other demos to share. More details here.

To arrange a one-to-one interview with Martin Turner, and to meet other executives on the Inmarsat team, please contact the media relations team using the contacts below:

About Inmarsat

Inmarsat plc is the leading provider of global mobile satellite communications services. Since 1979, Inmarsat has been providing reliable voice and high-speed data communications to governments, enterprises and other organizations, with a range of services that can be used on land, at sea or in the air. Inmarsat employs around 1,500 staff in more than 40 locations around the world, with a presence in the major ports and centres of commerce on every continent. For the year ended 31st December 2011, Inmarsat plc had total revenue of US$1,409m and an EBITDA of US$854m. For the six months ended 30 June 2012, Inmarsat plc had total revenue of US$684m and an EBITDA of US$381m. Inmarsat is listed on the London Stock Exchange (LSE:ISAT.L). For more information, please visit www.inmarsat.com.

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