[Satellite Today 04-27-09] Inmarsat has unveiled a speed upgrade to its Broadband Global Area Network (BGAN) service, the company announced.
    BGAN X-Stream service, which initially is available in the Asia-Pacific region, guarantees streaming data rates at a minimum of 384 kilobits per second (kbps) and up to 450kbps, Inmarsat said. The streaming service is accessible through existing BGAN hardware such as the Hughes HNS9201 and the Thrane & Thrane Explorer 700 terminals without the need for external antenna or any additional hardware.
    “We developed BGAN X-Stream in response to demands from broadcasters,” Drew Brandy, dead of Land Mobile Services at Inmarsat, said in a statement. “This enhancement represents an increase in BGAN’s streaming rate of at least 50 percent. It means that we can meet the demand for higher guaranteed data rates, and offer a service that moves closer to broadcast quality.”
    The service will be available around the globe by the end of June, Inmarsat said.