Telenor Satellite Services said it has more than doubled its customer base of regional broadband global area network (BGAN) service in 2004, but the company did not release specific subscriber numbers.

Company officials said the strongest markets of regional BGAN usage were in areas where war and aid are at the forefront of all issues. The fastest growing markets and the largest majority of new sales in 2004 came from non-traditional new markets such as finance, energy and civil government usage.

“The strong interest in mobile broadband communications over satellite confirms our belief that these services provide business and industry the necessary tools for continued economic growth, Telenor Regional BGAN Product Manager Jeff Irwin said in a prepared statement.

Along with the news about subscriber growth, Telenor also said it is lowering its Regional BGAN airtime costs in 96 of the 99 countries where the service is offered, some by as much as 40 percent per megabyte offered. The service offers 24-hour-a-day IP connectivity at speeds of up to 144 kbps via a secure channel and is available in Europe, Asia, and northern and central Africa.