ALKHOBAR, 23 September 2003 — The rollout of new information and communications technologies (ICT) and services has become so commonplace that it is unusual for any of them to make instant headlines. However, once in a while one does come along that not only makes headlines, but plays a significant role in the shaping of history. That is exactly the case with Inmarsat’s Regional Broadband Global Area Network (RBGAN). First becoming available for general use in November 2002, RBGAN played a vital role in communications during the war in Iraq. Due to the lack of a reliable telecommunication infrastructure in Iraq, the media and the military became accustomed to using satellite-based ICT. Even with the conflict now over, RBGAN’s popularity is growing especially in the business community, not only in Iraq, but throughout the entire Middle East.

Of course a major part of the reason for the popularity of RBGAN is that terrestrial general packet radio service (GPRS) simply hasn’t kept pace with the increasing need for dependable data exchange, anytime, anywhere. RBGAN enables data exchange using a 144 kbit/s secure shared channel that deploys instantly and runs at speeds more than twice as fast as land-based GPRS. RBGAN users can receive e-mails, browse the web, and connect to corporate LANs and intranets. Other applications include file transfer and FTP for downloading files from the Internet and sharing files with colleagues; e-commerce for online ordering and procurement; and secure end-to-end connectivity over a corporate virtual private network (VPN).

The added bonus of GPRS over satellite is that coverage is not limited to the rollout of terrestrial ground infrastructure and is available anywhere within the 99 countries of the satellite footprint. These countries encompass the Middle East, Europe, Northern and Central Africa, the Indian Subcontinent and most of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). Such wide coverage means that users can experience the increased flexibility of the service wherever they need to do business.

RBGAN is delivered through a lightweight satellite modem that can be connected with Bluetooth, or a USB or Ethernet cable, to a single computer or a network of computers. The RBGAN terminal is a one-time purchase at $1,500. Airtime is billed at $10-12 per megabyte of data used.

“The Regional BGAN satellite terminal is a portable Satellite IP Modem, about the size of a notebook computer,” said Samer Halawi, regional director, Inmarsat. “The satellite terminal is connected to a standard personal computer and users can connect to the Internet and other networks in the usual way, through the familiar Microsoft Windows interface, where they can run standard applications, such as e-mail packages and web browsers. The service is cost efficient because of the low cost of the terminal itself, and because users are only charged for the data they send and receive, no matter how long they are connected.”

Arab News has followed with interest the growing popularity of RBGAN. Last year, Robert Guerra contacted us desperately looking for a solution to the lack of connectivity in remote parts of Saudi Arabia where land-based GPRS was either of poor quality or non-existent. He claimed that trying to use his mobile telephone outside major population centers was “a joke” with frequently the only response from the phone being “no signal.” Four months ago we learned that Guerra had subscribed to RBGAN since the day the service went live. After eleven months of constant use, Guerra’s enthusiasm for RBGAN hasn’t waned. On Sunday, with the Saudi Internet paralyzed, we caught up with Guerra once again and were frankly envious of his freedom from the miseries continually inflicted on users of the Kingdom’s network.

Guerra is an American specialist in rehabilitation and physical therapy, who travels extensively with a busy, high-level client.

“In 2002 I slept only a few nights in my own bed in Riyadh,” said Guerra. “Sometimes we would travel to three different countries in one day. We often start off the day in a hotel and by evening we’re out in the desert somewhere. Not being in contact with my family, friends and business associates was driving me batty. I felt very isolated and stressed.”

“Before RBGAN, I had to use courier services for most important communications,” Guerra added. “Because I moved about so often some documents never caught up with me and I received others late. Paying for international courier deliveries is quite expensive, as well.”

To get started with Inmarsat’s RBGAN, Guerra bought the mobile satellite terminal. Then he had to put up a $1,000 deposit with the service provider he chose. Each month he pays a $35 service charge in addition to the $12 per MB download fee. At the end of each month his usage is charged to his credit card.

“When I first learned about the RBGAN service the cost seemed prohibitive,” he commented, “and sometimes I still feel guilty about how much I spend on communication. The truth is that learning a few tricks can reduce costs since you only pay for the amount of data downloaded. I considered other systems but they were all time-based and thus prohibitively expensive. For me there’s just no other way but RBGAN and I’ve come to accept it as a necessity in my life.”

Guerra uses the slimmed down Opera Browser for getting around the web. He clicks off all graphics options, so he only downloads text most of the time, not pictures. Filters and pre-screening enable him to download only the e-mail he wants to read immediately and trash all the spam. He subscribes to special services in the US and UK that enable faxes to be sent to an Internet account, which he can then receive through RBGAN. He has also tweaked the operating system in his notebook to make it run as fast as possible.

Although he often is constantly connected, Guerra can take his time replying to e-mail since he is charged only for the amount of data he sends and receives, not the connection time. RBGAN has greatly increased Guerra’s ability to function and succeed in his personal life, while holding down a challenging position.

“One of the best things about RBGAN is its dependability,” said Guerra. “It functions in all terrains and all environments. I can always count on it. It was reliable even during the Iraq War and I’ve used it all over the Middle East and Europe. I’ve been able to connect in sandstorms and on a yacht, swinging back and forth in inclement weather. Inside a hotel it’s necessary to aim it through a window to catch the satellite signal but with a little practice it’s not too difficult. Any interruptions in the connectivity have always been very brief, less than a minute.”

Guerra did say that using RBGAN was not a plug and play experience. It took some time to set it up and learn how to effectively use it. And he does have some suggestions for improvements. The Bluetooth wireless connectivity is only good when there is under 10 meters distance between the notebook and the RBGAN terminal. Guerra feels that the wireless connectivity should be upgraded. If the RBGAN terminal must be placed at a distance from the notebook for ideal satellite signal reception, then Guerra must connect the equipment by cable. This is messy and inconvenient. He also hopes that eventually his Inmarsat service provider would give discounts for those users willing to prepay for connectivity.

Guerra’s wish in regards to cost may be fulfilled in the not too distant future. Growing demand for RBGAN has resulted in Inmarsat’s concluding agreements with 11 distribution partners. They are Egyptian Space Corporation, France Telecom Mobile Satellite Communications, KDDI, Morsviazsputnik and The MVS Group, Net Africa, OTEsat, Stratos Global Corporation, Telecom Italia, Telenor, Triband Middle East and Xantic.

The end-user cost of any technology tends to fall as the number of users rises and competition among providers increases. Through their local channels, Inmarsat’s service providers have been actively promoting RBGAN for many types of mission critical data transmission and the technology’s use is growing in industries such as banking, construction, oil and gas. Even for those organizations who generally rely on the Saudi Internet for communications, catastrophic connectivity breakdowns like the one experienced this past Sunday, provide powerful motivation for considering the alternative of Inmarsat’s RBGAN.

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