Inmarsat announced at the Arab Telecom and Internet Forum (ATIF) the results of an opinion survey directed at media houses in the region. Inmarsat spoke with leading regional satellite TV and print media, to investigate how such organizations are using technology, in particular mobile satellite communications, to enhance their business performance and international competitiveness.
“The changing media landscape has put increased pressure on media organizations, particularly broadcast houses, to deliver the news as it happens,” said Samer Halawi, regional director, Inmarsat Middle East and Africa. “The challenge today is to get pictures, voice, and articles out, fast and accurately, from wherever the news is breaking, be it a city under siege or a community in crisis. And with the world’s eyes focused on our region, a high proportion of news is made up of Middle East content.”
The objective of Inmarsat’s survey was to identify what role regional media play in delivery of this content and how innovative technology can help them compete against the global players. The individuals surveyed revealed that Inmarsat’s reliable, high-speed mobile data solutions are crucial for the delivery of news before their competitors. In fact, an overwhelming majority of respondents believed that mobile satellite communications technology enables them to file stories before their competitors, thereby increasing their competitive advantage.
Inmarsat’s Regional Broadband Global Area Network (Regional BGAN) allows media to transfer up to the minute information from remote locations. The broadcast media continues to rely on Inmarsat GAN (Global Area Network), to deliver news, live, at the forefront, in areas of high public interest. When television viewers see “via videophone” on a correspondent’s live report, the station is using Inmarsat GAN to transmit from the field.
Abdel Majid Othman Muhammad, technical director, Abu Dhabi TV (ADTV) said: “Our competition has changed significantly over the last few years. In fact, during the Iraq war we were used as a resource by international players such as CNN and BBC.”
Today, Inmarsat’s Regional BGAN and GAN solutions have enabled the station to not only be used as a resource by international players, but compete with them also. During the Iraq conflict, an overwhelming number of channels relied on two regional stations — ADTV and Al-Jazeera, both of which use mobile satellite communications technology from Inmarsat.
“The media’s investment in mobile satellite communications technology has resulted in the delivery of news coverage direct from the front line, from regional players with in-depth understanding of the Middle East. On the whole this contributes to a more accurate world view of the Middle East,” explained Halawi.