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When Inmarsat was established in 1979 as an intergovernmental cooperation organization, China was one of the 88 sponsoring member states. Since then, Inmarsat and China have worked together very closely to connect those on land, air and sea in China.
In August 2014, Inmarsat announced the establishment of its Beijing office, demonstrating its commitment to the Chinese market and deepening its cooperation with China for more than 30 years. When he visited the United Kingdom in October 2015, President Xi Jinping even paid a visit to the Inmarsat headquarters in London, exemplifying the close partnership between Inmarsat and China.
The BGAN and GSPS services of Inmarsat have provided stable and reliable data and voice communication for emergency purposes in China for many years, and have played an irreplaceable role in helping the Chinese central and local governments during major natural disasters. One case was the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake where Inmarsat technology helped to keep aid workers connected through its satellite system.
Inmarsat has also helped to provide connectivity for rural areas of the country. In 2005, Sichuan, Qinghai, Tibet and other provinces launched the mobile “Extending Radio and TV Broadcast Coverage to Every Village” project. Inmarsat and the satellite communications branch of China Telecom Co., Ltd. leveraged Inmarsat’s mobile communications technology to help deliver broadband communication services to more than 2000 remote rural areas.
Outside of natural disaster and rural support, Inmarsat’s technology also allowed CCTV to conduct a long-range live broadcast of the Jiaolong deep-sea exploration and other historical events in 2010. CCTV used Inmarsat’s network and equipment to ensure a stable signal during the live broadcast.
From left to right: President Xi Jinping, Rt Hon Greg Hands MP, Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Rupert Pearce, CEO of Inmarsat
In 2013, Inmarsat assisted the China Transport Telecommunications Information Center (CTTIC) to build the China ground station for the 4th Generation Mobile Satellite in Beijing. This marked Inmarsat as the only global satellite communications operator with satellite access stations in China and opened doors for vessel connectivity in China’s waters.
A year later, China’s “Dongfeng” sailboat won the Inmarsat-sponsored Volvo Ocean Race championship for the first time. As the official satellite communications partner, Inmarsat provided 24-hour uninterrupted connectivity, logistics support and weather updates for participating vessels.
Today, Inmarsat provides countless vessels with the highest availability and most reliable service from the South Pole to the North Pole. With C Station, Fleet Broadband and Fleet Express, Inmarsat covers the sea all around the globe.
In recent years, Inmarsat has seen great traction in China. In May 2017, China’s Shenzhen Airlines, in cooperation with CTTIC and China Aviation Data Communications Corporation (ADCC), took the lead in launching the trial operation of SB-S service in China. Shenzhen Airlines will also use this service to reduce operating costs, improve operational quality, improve passenger satisfaction, and become a leading domestic and global airline.
With the upgrade of Inmarsat Network, the service is also improving. The first Ka-band GX terminal was successfully deployed and opened to serve the Polar Science Research Project at the Great Wall Station in Antarctica, providing a high-speed 50Mbps broadband service for the scientific research team.
Today, Inmarsat is leading in the field of aeronautical satellite communications. More than 12,000 aircraft and more than 90% of transoceanic flights with more than 200 airlines worldwide use the company’s communications solutions. By 2022, Inmarsat will have twelve payloads to provide seamless and reliable connectivity to all aircraft and all flight routes – including the poles.
We have greatly enjoyed helping China over the last 40 years and we look forward to 40 more years of success and partnership.
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