Comrex Access Tested With BGAN

Comrex says it has successfully completed testing of its Access IP codec over the Inmarsat Broadband Global Area Network 32 kbps streaming service.
This was the second test of the system, the supplier said, after Inmarsat implemented improvements to fix issues on the upload path.
BGAN uses textbook-size terminals to deliver full-duplex voice, ISDN and IP-based data services. Comrex said the test was made from Inmarsat headquarters in London, using a Comrex Access and a Thrane Explorer 500 BGAN terminal. Connection was made to an Access on a DSL line at Comrex corporate headquarters in Massachusetts.
“The real breakthrough here is cost,” Comrex Technical Director Tom Hartnett said in the announcement. “Due to high usage charges, these terminals have always appealed to the big-budget networks, but this new streaming service brings the cost down to around $2.10 per minute.” This, he said, opens the service to many more broadcast applications.
Comrex says BGAN service is scheduled to become available in North America this summer, as the Atlantic Ocean Region satellite becomes commercially active.