22nd October 2007 - Inmarsat (LSE: ISAT), the leading provider of global mobile satellite communications, today announced that its new high-speed aeronautical service, SwiftBroadband, is now commercially available.
The latest addition to Inmarsat's established and successful portfolio of aeronautical services, SwiftBroadband is the first fully IP-based service, capable of supporting broadband IP data at up to 432kbps.
From today, the service is available through distribution partners MVS, OnAir, Stratos and Vizada, and their extensive reseller networks.
The majority of new long-haul aircraft currently being built by Boeing and Airbus - such as the Boeing 777 and Airbus A380 - are being fitted with antennae capable of accessing SwiftBroadband. Existing users of Inmarsat's aeronautical services with a suitable high-gain antenna can follow a simple upgrade path to SwiftBroadband.
"This is an exciting day for Inmarsat," said Michael Butler, President and COO of Inmarsat. "Eight years after we began the development work on the Inmarsat-4 network, we are now able to offer an aeronautical service that takes full advantage of its unprecedented power and capacity."
"For the last 18 months, aircraft have been installing equipment that is capable of accessing SwiftBroadband, so we have a user base in place already," said Butler. "We will be targeting these users, who can quickly and easily upgrade to SwiftBroadband, so they can benefit from the cost-efficiencies, enhanced functionality and advanced capabilities that the new service can deliver."
Leading manufacturers - including Chelton, EMS, Honeywell, Rockwell Collins, Thales, and Thrane & Thrane - are bringing to market the avionics and antennae for the service.
