Satellite broadband service being launched

[Fire14]

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP)--An Atlas 5 rocket roared from its seaside launch pad at Cape Canaveral, Fla., on Friday, carrying into space a satellite to provide broadband access to mobile electronics users.

The Inmarsat 4 is the first of a new breed of spacecraft designed to provide broadband Internet, video, fax, e-mail, phone and local area network access to mobile users almost anywhere in the world.

When fully deployed, the company's three-satellite constellation will bring wireless broadband connections to ships, planes and remote areas that don't have reliable access to ground-based high-speed networks.

"It provides much faster connectivity - it brings broadband anywhere," said Rick Medlock, Inmarsat Group chief financial officer. "Whether you're doing oil exploration in Alaska or aid agency work in the middle of Africa or in ships in their fleets around the world, it brings true broadband, which they've never had before."

The company's satellites already provide coverage to mobile users who can connect via laptop-sized receivers, but the new system will be much faster.

The new spacecraft, builty by EADS Astrium, the satellite-building unit of the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Co. (5730.FR), was billed as the largest commercial satellite ever launched - 13,138 pounds.

To get it up, engineers used a stretched version of the Lockheed Martin Corp.'s (LMT) Atlas V rocket. The launch had been delayed from Thursday.

[Gamer03]

Interesting.....

That sounds like a good idea to improve technology in places that don't have broadband.

Thanks for the story Fire.

[azcellphonejunkie]

Originally Posted by Fire14

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP)--An Atlas 5 rocket roared from its seaside launch pad at Cape Canaveral, Fla., on Friday, carrying into space a satellite to provide broadband access to mobile electronics users.

The Inmarsat 4 is the first of a new breed of spacecraft designed to provide broadband Internet, video, fax, e-mail, phone and local area network access to mobile users almost anywhere in the world.

When fully deployed, the company's three-satellite constellation will bring wireless broadband connections to ships, planes and remote areas that don't have reliable access to ground-based high-speed networks.

"It provides much faster connectivity - it brings broadband anywhere," said Rick Medlock, Inmarsat Group chief financial officer. "Whether you're doing oil exploration in Alaska or aid agency work in the middle of Africa or in ships in their fleets around the world, it brings true broadband, which they've never had before."

The company's satellites already provide coverage to mobile users who can connect via laptop-sized receivers, but the new system will be much faster.

The new spacecraft, builty by EADS Astrium, the satellite-building unit of the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Co. (5730.FR), was billed as the largest commercial satellite ever launched - 13,138 pounds.

To get it up, engineers used a stretched version of the Lockheed Martin Corp.'s (LMT) Atlas V rocket. The launch had been delayed from Thursday.

This will be great for all of the oil exploration I do in Alaska!

[Gamer03]

Originally Posted by azcellphonejunkie

This will be great for all of the oil exploration I do in Alaska!

Oil exploration??

Azcellphonejunkie, what does oil exploration mean? You actually go to Alaska and "look" for oil? It can't be for your job. Can it?

[azcellphonejunkie]

Originally Posted by Gamer03

Oil exploration??

Azcellphonejunkie, what does oil exploration mean? You actually go to Alaska and "look" for oil? It can't be for your job. Can it?

In the orginal thread, there was mention of this:

"It provides much faster connectivity - it brings broadband anywhere," said Rick Medlock, Inmarsat Group chief financial officer. "Whether you're doing oil exploration in Alaska or aid agency work in the middle of Africa or in ships in their fleets around the world, it brings true broadband, which they've never had before."

I was actually just joking. I thought it was funny that they chose oil exploration as an example of the people that can use it. I don't actually do this, just a joke .

Sarcasm sometimes doesn't come through right in plain text on the forums...

[agentHibby]

This will be better than what Motorola tried to do with Satellite phones on SMR band and ended up selling there licenses to Nextel about 10 years ago. I think the satellites are still up in space?

[Gamer03]

Originally Posted by azcellphonejunkie

In the orginal thread, there was mention of this:

"It provides much faster connectivity - it brings broadband anywhere," said Rick Medlock, Inmarsat Group chief financial officer. "Whether you're doing oil exploration in Alaska or aid agency work in the middle of Africa or in ships in their fleets around the world, it brings true broadband, which they've never had before."

I was actually just joking. I thought it was funny that they chose oil exploration as an example of the people that can use it. I don't actually do this, just a joke .

Sarcasm sometimes doesn't come through right in plain text on the forums...

Ok. Gotcha...

[Gamer03]

My sister told me that when she was in Orlando going to Islands of Adventure on Friday, she saw the Atlas 5 rocket's leftover smoke still in the air.

I thought to mention that since it sounded interesting to me.