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BGAN - Broadband for a mobile planet

Inmarsat's Broadband Global Area Network (BGAN) is the latest development in global mobile satellite data services offering IP connectivity at up to 492Kbit/s. It is supported by a range of terminals designed to meet differing market needs.

Working over the new Inmarsat 4th generation (I4) satellites has delivered huge advantages to the BGAN offering, allowing high data rates, simultaneous voice and data calls and guaranteed minimum bandwidth IP services, all from a single user terminal.

The service launched in 2006 and is due to become global in late 2008 after the launch of the third I4 satellite. With existing coverage across Europe, Africa, the Middle East and stretching to the Pacific Rim including parts of Japan, Australia and Indonesia BGAN provides extensive coverage. The successful launch of the third I4 satellite to be located over the Pacific Ocean will expand the coverage globally.

Comparision table of the most popular BGAN terminals

Brand	Wideye Sabre 1	Thrane Explorer 110	Thrane Explorer 300	Thrane Explorer 500	Thrane Explorer 700	Hughes HNS 9201
Class	Class 3	Class 3	Class 3	Class 2	Class 1	Class 1
Size (mm)	259x195	200x150	217x168	217x217	297x399	345x275
Weight (Kg)	1.6	<1	1.6	1.5	3.2	2.8
Standard IP (Kbit/s)	240/384	240/384	240/384	448/464	492/492	492/492
Streaming IP (Kbit/s)	32 64	32 64	32 64	32 64 128	32 64 128 256	32 64 128 256
ISDN (Kbit/s)	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	64	64
Voice Interface	RJ11 & BT	RJ45 ISDN & BT	RJ11 & BT	RJ11 & BT	2xRJ11 & BT	2xRJ11 &RJ45
Data Interface	BT & LAN	USB, BT & LAN	BT & LAN	USB, BT & LAN	BT, 2xLAN & WLAN	BT, LAN & WLAN
International protection rating	54	44	54	54	52 66	55
Brand	Thrane Explorer 527		Hughes HNS 9250		ViaSat PSC-14*
Class	Class 2		Class 2		Class 2
Termnial Size (mm)	403x483		275x345		287x420
Antenna Size (mm)	500x150		477x153		430x275
Termnial Weight (Kg)	5.0		2.8		9.3
Antenna Weight (Kg)	5.0		5.0		2.6
Standard IP (Kbit/s)	448/464		448/464		258/422
Streaming IP (Kbit/s)	32 64 128		32 64 128		32 64
ISDN (Kbit/s)	N/A		64		N/A
Voice Interface	RJ11 & BT		2xRJ11 & RJ45		RJ11
Data Interface	BT & LAN		ISDN, LAN & WLAN		BT & LAN
International protection rating	56		56		67
Miscellaneous	Vehicular Terminal		Vehicular Terminal		Encrypted Terminal
* Only available in the US.