TECHNOLOGY
“ We want to ensure the utilities industry is aware of the breadth and ability of Satcomms ” STEVEN TOMPKINS DIRECTOR OF SECTOR DEVELOPMENT , INMARSAT
“ We ’ re seeing particularly opportunities in that space because there ’ s more of a need for highly reliable connectivity , to get evergreater control of overheads in the field – whether that ’ s for reclosers or taking back information from meters or having a view of activity in a substation .”
The enduring perception of satellite is it ’ s costly , clunky and hard to use , but Inmarsat has proved over the years that ’ s not the case , he adds . The pandemic has served as a catalyst , highlighting the costs of monitoring assets remotely .
“ Both the hardware and data costs are fairly cost effective compared with other connectivity methods . We hear it time again , whether it ’ s utilities or rail tracks , the perception is ‘ satellite is expensive compared with cellular ’, but compared with the wider cost of ownership , it ’ s very cost effective to connect industrial assets in remote locations .”
The clear benefit of its Broadband Global Area Network ( BGAN ) M2M service , which is being promoted in a new campaign , is its ‘ always on ’ connectivity with Inmarsat operating 14 geostationary satellites 35,000kms above earth – unconstrained from the pressures affecting terrestrial and private networks . This year its L-band network - the frequency its BGAN M2M service runs on - will be further upgraded
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