IsatPhone 2 user. Photo: Inmarsat

[Via Satellite 07-18-2016] Inmarsat has received type approval from the government of China for its IsatPhone 2 technology. Working alongside local channel partners MCN Beijing and China Telecom Satellite (CTS), Inmarsat is now positioned to service the Chinese market. According to the company, it is the only international operator legally eligible to sell handheld satellite phones in China.

A key criteria for the approval was to have local infrastructure in the country. MCN, in partnership with Inmarsat, successfully completed its Global Satellite Phone Service (GSPS) gateway station in China at the end of 2014, receiving its official license earlier this year.

“As the need for reliable and remote communications in China continues to grow, driven by strategic initiatives such as ‘One Belt, One Road’, Inmarsat will be well positioned to capture that growth,” said Tim Johnson, VP of Inmarsat’s Enterprise Unit. “There are several sectors such as mining and oil and gas, which regularly operate in remote areas of China and where currently traditional connectivity cannot provide the required level of reliable service cost-effectively. This announcement paves the way to meeting that demand.”