Roadpost is entering a partnership agreement with France Telecom Mobile
Satellite Communications to provide BGAN (broadband global area network)
services to North American customers.
This represents one of the first agreements with a North American supplier to
bring this satellite technology to the business, government and consumer
markets.
BGAN will be initially accessible in Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Asia.
Coverage for North and South America is planned for mid-2006. BGAN’s
flexibility and ease of use makes it an ideal choice for remote workers in a
wide range of industries, from oil and gas exploration and the military to
government, journalism and emergency aid workers.
Morris Shawn, president and CEO of Roadpost, says, “BGAN is a revolutionary
technology that will expand the usage of portable satellite services beyond
traditional markets, and we are delighted to be in on the ‘ground floor’ of
this concept.”
Eric Verheylewegen, Director Americas of France Telecom Mobile Satellite
Communications, notes, “The launch of BGAN is a major milestone in mobile
satellite communications. Roadpost's market reach and considerable expertise in
providing mobile satellite services to a diverse base of customers will be
instrumental in building BGAN adoption in North America, which we consider to
be a key market.”
BGAN terminal costs start at US $2495 ($3295 CDN) and are priced based on data
transmission speeds and robustness. Terminals are available for single users or
small teams, and can be configured to accommodate WiFi, BlueTooth, Ethernet and
more. Price plans for subscription services also include a monthly fee, plus
per minute and per megabyte charges for transmission of voice and data. In
addition, Roadpost offers a selection of cost saving voice and data bundles for
a broad spectrum of needs, from light, occasional users, to long-term heavy
users.