Inmarsat is moving one of its five in-orbit spare satellites over the Middle East to meet the rising demand for communications in that region of the world.

The move is aimed at ensuring communication will not be blacked out due to increased demand, even during the peak reporting hours of the expected war in Iraq, Inmarsat officials said. The company provides support to major broadcast networks, as well as government and aid agencies, via its global area network (GAN) in the Middle East region. GAN is used by news organizations to connect their videophones for live broadcasts and was put to widespread use during the Afghan War.