WSJ writes:
Inmarsat PLC switched on the first phase of its long-awaited $1.5 billion satellite network [last] Wednesday, giving users across Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Asia access to simultaneous voice and broadband Internet service.
London-based Inmarsat, which operates a constellation of satellites that enable voice and data services, said its Broadband Global Area Network, or BGAN, will allow data transfer speeds of up to 492 kilobits per second.
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Inmarsat said that the satellites double the data speeds that were available prior to the launch and also offer 25% faster speeds than currently available with 3G, or third-generation, mobile operators.The service can be accessed through a range of lightweight satellite terminals, the smallest of which is about half the size of a laptop computer. The cost of the terminal ranges from $1,500 to $3,500.
