Inmarsat awarded its fourth-generation (I-4) satellite contract – for three satellites worth about $700 million – to Astrium, previously Matra Marconi Space. The satellites will be able to communicate with a variety of terminals as small as a one and a half pound personal digital assistant in what Inmarsat refers to as its Broadband Global Area Network or B-GAN.

Two of the I-4 satellites will be launched, in 2003; the remaining one will be a ground spare. The satellites and B-GAN system will be operational in 2004.

Inmarsat said the entire B-GAN system will cost about $1.4 billion, with the remaining $700 million spent on launching the satellites, earth stations, telecommunications infrastructure, distribution and billing and support systems. The company will contract separately for launch services.

The I-4 system will communicate with three classes of terminal: a briefcase-size terminal will run at 432 kbps to and from the satellite; a “nominal” terminal about the size of a laptop computer which will run at 432 kbps from the satellite to the terminal and 144 kbps from the terminal to the satellite; and a PDA-size terminal will measure about four inches by five inches run at 144 kbps to and from the satellite.