Inmarsat GX Aviation Ground Stations Completed

Construction of Inmarsat’s final four ground stations for the Global Express (GX) Ka-band satcom network is complete, paving the way for introduction of the GX Aviation high-speed broadband satcom service “early in the second half of 2015,” according to the company. GX Aviation will offer data speeds of up to 50 Mbps globally via three Inmarsat-5 satellites. The terrestrial network includes six satellite access stations, including the recently completed four in Minnesota; Winnipeg, Canada; and two near Auckland, New Zealand, plus the two operating stations in Fucino, Italy, and Nemea, Greece. The first I-5 satellite was launched late last year and is already serving government customers in India. Inmarsat plans to launch the remaining two I-5s early next year.