Thuraya IP Commander. Photo: Thuraya Telecommunications

[Via Satellite 06-17-2014] Thuraya Telecommunications, a Mobile Satellite Service (MSS) operator, launched the company’s first ruggedized satellite broadband terminal designed with U.S. military standard components, the Thuraya Internet Protocol (IP) Commander. The terminal is expected to be commercially available in the third quarter of 2014.

The Thuraya IP Commander was developed in collaboration with SRT Wireless, the commercial and law-enforcement division of the SRT Group, and is designed to enable voice and data connectivity in mobile or stationary applications in extreme or remote conditions. The package includes a rugged voice handset, offering voice connectivity across Thuraya’s satellite network.

The terminal was designed for military and government operations, as well as operations in land mobile, energy and mining, as it offers IP data rates of up to 444 kbps. According to Thuraya, it is the only ruggedized vehicular terminal able to achieve streaming IP speeds up to 384 kbps along with asymmetric streaming capabilities.