Inmarsat The Power Behind Live TV And Radio Broadcasting In Afghanistan.

Business Editors

LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 10, 2001

Broadcasters including CNN and BBC turn to Inmarsat to feed the

world's thirst for news and developments in the region

Viewers around the world are able to watch live events unfold in Afghanistan from many of the world's television and radio station thanks to advanced imaging technology utilising Inmarsat Global Area Network (GAN) solution.

Broadcasters from all around the world, including the BBC and CNN have been drawn to Afghanistan to record the UN sanctioned strikes on suspected terrorists in the region and are using Inmarsat's satellite network to broadcast live from the field. To get the news in real-time back live from where it is actually happening, the only way to do this is via Inmarsat as they demand ISDN speed connectivity, high availability and high reliability.

Presenters can operate in the field filming live through a video conference unit called the TH2 Talking Heads or Videophone from 7E Communications in London, which links via a standard ISDN socket to the Inmarsat GAN terminal which provides a dial up two way connection to the home studio via satellites orbiting 36,000 km above the equator. GAN provides a 64kbit/s two-way channel from virtually any landmass in the world. The speed can be increased to 128kbit/s by harnessing two GAN channels.

Nic Robertson, CNN Senior Correspondent, who has just left Kabul, Afghanistan said: "Videophones put you in the heart of a story and allow you to broadcast live within minutes, following the changes in a story and without having to go back to base. For example, in Kabul we could simply unfold the Inmarsat antenna and open the videophone box, connect the camera and transmit live pictures immediately.

"The need to haul hundreds of kilogrammes of cumbersome satellite equipment and feel restricted by a satellite truck is now history. On this trip, it made getting across the border into Afghanistan not only physically easier but allowed our hi-tech equipment to escape the detection of the Taleban border guards," he added.

Inmarsat communications solutions have been part of the broadcasters armoury for some time and are often used by teams flying into the world's trouble spots in advance of more permanent and costly deployment of fixed uplink capabilities.

For example, many audio broadcasters use Inmarsat GAN to provide a high quality radio broadcast facility from the road, for example BBC Radio cars are often equipped with GAN in the UK for Radio 4 and Radio 5 broadcasts. The Inmarsat mini-M voice and low level data terminal is also used by many broadcasters for live voice links, or communicating with the studio.

"What makes the situation in Afghanistan unique is that the news organizations of the world are relying on Inmarsat GAN to provide them with mainstream newsgathering capabilities in the field for a longer period of time than they would normally do," said Michael Butler, managing director of Inmarsat Limited. "The news teams need a highly reliable and robust system, which they can pick up and move around as they cover developments, and Inmarsat GAN provides that."

"GAN is a tried and tested technology which has been operational for almost two years and is used by many businesses around the world to access their corporate databases or conduct video conferences when there is no reliable telecommunications solution available," he added.

Since the terrorist attacks on the US on 11th September, Inmarsat partners have reported a surge in demand for GAN terminals and associated equipment. When the US-led strikes on Taleban and terrorist targets started on 7th October, the Inmarsat network saw a large increase in usage which was tracked by Inmarsat's advanced network management system and assigned extra capacity to meet the increased demand.

About Inmarsat Limited

- Inmarsat Ltd owns and operates a global satellite network and delivers its
solutions through a global distribution network of approximately 200
distributors and other service providers operating in over 150 countries to end
users in the maritime, land and aeronautical sectors.

- Inmarsat Ltd has a portfolio of satellite solutions, including voice, fax,
intranet and Internet access and other data services.

- Inmarsat Ltd has over 21 years of experience in designing, implementing and
operating satellite networks.

- At the end of December 2000, approximately 212,000 terminals were registered
to access Inmarsat Ltd's services.

- Inmarsat Ltd is also supported by partners in the fields of equipment
manufacture, software provision and systems integration.

- Inmarsat Ltd is a subsidiary of Inmarsat Ventures plc.

- Visit http://www.inmarsat.com for more information.