SINGAPORE, Jan. 31, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Inmarsat (LSE:ISAT.L), the leading provider of global mobile satellite communications services, is showcasing an extensive portfolio of voice and data solutions at the inaugural Asia Pacific Aid and International Development Forum (AIDF) 2013, together with Inmarsat partner Singapore Telecommunications (SingTel) and applications development partner AnsuR Technologies (AnsuR).
The world leading forum for the humanitarian aid, relief and development sector, AIDF is being held for the first time in Asia-Pacific on January 30-31, at the IMPACT Convention Centre in Bangkok, Thailand.
At AIDF, Inmarsat is unveiling a new humanitarian aid package for the IsatPhone Link - Inmarsat's fixed satellite phone service. Focusing on NGOs operating in a fixed location for an extended period of time, the IsatPhone Link package is a highly cost effective option. It includes a total of 3,000 minutes per month, shared between three terminals, to deliver one predictable, low monthly charge.
This new offer from Inmarsat builds upon the package announced in 2012 for the IsatPhone Pro. Meanwhile, the BGAN Link broadband service offers NGOs working on longer-term field projects options of high-volume data packages for a fixed monthly fee.
IsatPhone Pro, IsatPhone Link and BGAN Link operate over Inmarsat's award-winning I-4 network, offering around 99.9% satellite and ground network availability, giving assurance for voice and data connectivity anywhere in the world.
"Aid agencies are increasingly recognising the vital role that satellite communications solutions play in every aspect of disaster management, from research and monitoring to emergency relief to long-term redevelopment," said Drew Brandy, Vice President, Industry. "The cost for the provision of Inmarsat emergency communications services has come down dramatically and this opens up new approaches for rapidly getting aid and support in these situations."
Earth Observatory of Singapore
In the field of environmental monitoring, organisations like the Earth Observatory of Singapore use Inmarsat's BGAN service to securely transmit research data on seismic movements, in real-time, from remote locations. This enables early detection of a seismic event and, therefore, can minimise the impact of a natural disaster.
A customer of Inmarsat's partner SingTel, the Earth Observatory of Singapore (EOS), conducts on-going research into natural disasters and climate change. EOS' Sumatran Global Positioning System (GPS) Array (SuGAr) project was set up last year to collect, process, analyse and archive data on tectonic plate movements in the region. Dr. Paramesh Banerjee, Technical Director of EOS will be presenting a case study on his use of BGAN in the Disaster Risk Reduction session at AIDF.
Inmarsat's BGAN service was put to the test just four months after SuGAr went "live", when a powerful, magnitude 8.6 earthquake struck Banda Aceh, Indonesia on April 11, 2012. Within a few hours, post-earthquake data collected from the field was transmitted to base for analysis, which enabled EOS to alert scientists in Indonesia of another potential earthquake.
AnsuR Technologies
Situational awareness is another area that is significantly reliant on satellite communications. ASIGN is award-winning solution from AnsuR Technologies, which specialises in the research, design and sale of innovative solutions for satellite and mobile wireless communications. ASIGN was developed especially for Inmarsat's BGAN service and provides for rapid field assessment by humanitarian aid agencies with 'near real-time' input of photos, video, and data collected from a disaster zone anywhere in the world.
"Knowing exactly what happened, where and when is crucial so that rescue operations can be quickly deployed to save lives and protect property," said Dr. Harald Skinnemoen, Founder, Chairman and CEO of AnsuR Technologies.
The UN and International Organisation for Migration (IMO) used ASIGN in the assessment mission in Haiti in 2010. In 2012, AnsuR also supported the UN in field assessments of areas affected by the flooding in Thailand and, very recently, the company was engaged by the Indonesian National Civil Defense to take geo-pictures of the widespread flooding in Jakarta.
Commenting on the collaboration with AnsuR and SingTel, Drew Brandy, Vice President, Industry, Inmarsat said, "We remain fully committed to providing affordable and reliable voice and data services to aid organisations and will continue to innovate our pricing packages to fit their requirements in the field. We're delighted to have partners like AnsuR and SingTel that enhance the capabilities of the Inmarsat network to provide lifeline communications solutions to humanitarian agencies and first responders in Asia and the rest of the world."
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 more information, please visit www.inmarsat.com
About SingTel
The SingTel Group is Asia's leading communications group. It provides a wide spectrum of multimedia and infocomms technology (ICT) solutions, including voice, data and video services over fixed and wireless platforms.
SingTel is largest listed company on the Singapore Exchange by market capitalisation. It is also listed on the Australian Securities Exchange following its acquisition of Optus in August 2001. To serve the needs of multinational corporations, SingTel has a vast network of offices in countries and territories throughout Asia Pacific, in Europe and the USA, while Optus has a network of offices around Australia. The Group employs more than 23,000 staff worldwide.
As at 30 September 2012, the Group serves 468 million mobile customers around the world.
About AnsuR
AnsuR Technologies AS researches, designs and sells innovative solutions for satellite and mobile wireless communications. The company was founded in 2005 by experienced satellite and telecommunications experts with more than 150 years combined expertise in broadband and mobile satellite and telecommunications.
Efficient voice and image communications concepts are part of our Innovative Communication solutions. In satellite communications we have in particular strong expertise on Imarsat BGAN (mobile broadband) and DVB-RCS (fixed broadband).
AnsuR contributes to systems design and key technology development for major actors and bodies such as Inmarsat, the ESA and the EU Commission. We also collaborate with organizations such as EADS Astrium, German Aerospace, Nera, Unisat and Telenor.
