[Satellite Today 09-23-08] Inmarsat is expanding its FleetBroadband range of services to target the lower end of the maritime market, the company said Sept. 23.
    The operator will offer an entry-level, globally deployable, combined voice and data service, FB150, targeting fishing, leisure and small business vessels. The service will deliver voice, data services up to 150 kilobits per second and SMS.
    The service is planned to be available by the middle of 2009. The first manufacturers of FB150 hardware will be Thrane & Thrane and AddValue, which is partnering with SpaceCom for antenna production.
     “Inmarsat and the FB150 manufacturers are committed to ensuring the terminal pricing will address the needs of the sub-$5,000 hardware sector,” Piers Cunningham, head of maritime business at Inmarsat, said in a statement. “Owners of smaller vessels want to explore the benefits of Internet access through FleetBroadband’s IP data capability, and they want a service that is priced accordingly. FB150 will address these requirements in a package suitable for use onboard smaller maritime platforms.”
    In a separate announcement, Inmarsat said its FleetBroadband service, launched in November, now has more than 1,000 activated terminals.