Inmarsat Offers Emergency Response Services to Satphone Users

Customer using satellite phone. Photo: Inmarsat

[Via Satellite 02-10-2015] Inmarsat has announced plans to offer all post-pay IsatPhone 2 customers free access to the GEOS Worldwide Emergency Response Coordination service.

The service allows customers to contact the GEOS International Emergency Response Coordination Center (IERCC) by pressing the assistance button located at the top of the IsatPhone 2 handheld satellite phone handset. A message is then triggered containing the user’s GPS coordinates and sent over Inmarsat’s global satellite network.

Once the emergency notification request is received the response center in Houston, Texas, will contact the user directly and establish the nature of the emergency. GEOS staff will then notify the appropriate authorities based on region and nature of the emergency, to begin search and rescue procedures.

“Increasingly, safety and security are paramount concerns amongst purchasers of satellite phones who often work in isolated or volatile areas,” said Greg Ewert, president of Inmarsat.