Inmarsat, Hughes Supporting ITU Disaster Relief Efforts

Inmarsat and Hughes Network Systems, LLC (HUGHES), have donated mobile satellite communications technology and services to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) for use in developing nations facing natural and man-made disasters.

The donation includes 30 Broadband Global Area Network (BGAN) terminals, manufactured by Hughes, and $1.2 million worth of satellite airtime from Inmarsat, leveraging the ELERA network. Hughes and Inmarsat will also provide technical training to ITU personnel so they can deliver a turn-key communications solution for humanitarian aid workers responding to emergencies anywhere in the world.

Within the first hours of a disaster or conflict, the ITU will lend the mobile satellite terminals to relief teams that can use the rugged, portable devices and Inmarsat satellite capacity to set up voice and data connectivity where it’s needed most for rescue and relief efforts. With access to global satellite capacity and 30 terminals, the ITU will be able to deploy satellite connectivity to support multiple communities in need at any one time.

At the Hughes manufacturing facility in Germantown, Maryland, Donna Murphy, Senior Vice President, Global Regulatory of Inmarsat (left), and Jennifer Manner, Senior Vice President, Regulatory Affairs of Hughes/EchoStar, appear with satellite terminals that will be donated to assist with emergency communications in developing nations. The donation includes 30 Broadband Global Area Network (BGAN) terminals, manufactured by Hughes, and $1.2 million worth of satellite airtime from Inmarsat, leveraging the ELERA network.