Photo: Inmarsat

Inmarsat has received a three-year contract with the ESA valued at $26 million (22.4 million euros) that will co-fund the development of a new satellite communications services platform that will allow governments to plan, procure, manage, and monitor satcom services. Inmarsat plans to create a platform called INVISON — International Virtual Satellite Operators Network. 

The INVISON program also plans to develop new government serves that can be accessed over the platform, like an Internet of Things (IoT) solution that will allow governments to monitor critical infrastructure and geohazard events in Norway and the United Kingdom, in addition to software applications for bandwidth optimization. 

Nick Shave, vice president of Inmarsat Global Government commented: “In the face of ongoing challenges, governments around the world require more control, flexibility, immediacy, and transparency over the satellite services they procure. The Inmarsat INVISON platform puts the government user in control of the services they rely on by enabling a wide range of satcoms services, brokered from multiple operators and providers, to be more accessible and secure. This advanced new system and service will drive innovation and efficiency throughout the entire satcoms value chain.”

The ESA is supporting this project as part of its Space Systems for Safety and Security (4S) Strategic Line,  which is a new component of its Advanced Research in Telecommunication Systems (ARTES) program. Inmarsat will lead a consortium of Norwegian and U.K. based companies on the project including AnsuR, Avanti Communications, Geonor, Global RadioData Communications, MConnected, the Satellite Applications Catapult, and SINTEF.