Inmarsat has selected Hughes Network Systems to develop a machine-to-machine (M2M) terminal for its BGan service.
Hughes will develop the 9502 BGan M2M terminal by building on its 9201-M2M platform. The BGan service will offer an end-to-end IP data capability for real-time applications including smart metering, scada, monitoring and other infrastructure telemetry offerings. Planned for launch early next year, the service will target the low-cost M2M market in utilities, oil, gas, retail and banking sectors.
“We believe there is significant appetite in a number of markets globally for a low-cost stable platform to support short-burst data and the increased connectivity needed in fixed monitoring applications,” said Drew Brandy, director of land services at Inmarsat.
“A specific opportunity we will target is the smart grid initiative in the energy sector, with its requirement for data connectivity and information sharing across widely dispersed infrastructures. But there are a number of other markets with a similar need for IP-based real-time cost-effective visibility across their operations.”
“BGan has already proven itself as a high-quality and reliable service, with high-availability via the global Inmarsat-4 network, and we feel it will offer an attractive solution for a range of M2M requirements”.
Hughes has been a developer and manufacturer of terminals for the BGan service since its launch in 2005, with several portable and vehicular models in its portfolio.
“Hughes is proud to be selected by Inmarsat to develop the new 9502 BGan product,” said Graham Avis, vice president and general manager of Hughes in San Diego.
“The combination of reliable connectivity to unattended remote sites, a global service area and an end-to-end IP based data path makes this an ideal solution for a wide array of machine-to-machine communication needs.”
