Inmarsat : IsatHub makes debut in Latin America

29 August 2014: Inmarsat's revolutionary new game-changing service, IsatHub, has been unveiled to Latin American customers today at a special launch event at the Hard Rock Hotel Megapolis in Panama City.

IsatHub is a powerful and portable smart device connectivity service that enables users to talk, text and access the internet and apps using their own smartphones and tablets beyond the reach of terrestrial mobile and fixed networks.

Panama is one of the first countries in Latin America to offer Inmarsat's ground-breaking service and Innovatio TSEM, the local arm of Inmarsat's distribution partner MVS USA, will be providing 24/7 customer service, sales and technical support in Spanish to IsatHub clients in Panama.

"Panama's impressive growth rate, dollarized economy, the expansion of the Panama Canal now underway and the rising importance of Copa Airlines as a regional airline have combined to make the country an increasingly important hub for business, increasing the demand for advanced voice and data technologies, such as those offered by the new IsatHub service," said Deborah Deffaa, Chief Executive Officer of MVS USA.

Users can access IsatHub via the Wideye iSavi, which is a small, lightweight terminal from Inmarsat's manufacturing partner AddValue. It can connect to any iPhone, iPad and/or iPod Touch or Android device via WiFi and by using the IsatHub control app on their smart device - downloadable from the App Store or Google Play - users can gain access to the service for both its data capabilities and dedicated high-quality voice line.

Once the IsatHub connection is established, it provides a personal and secure network up to 30m (100ft) from the terminal. The IsatHub voice app enables users to make and receive voice calls on their device, as well as send and receive text messages, even if the device is for WiFi use only.

"You could be a thousand kilometers from the nearest mobile network and still connect to the rest of the world for applications ranging from video calls to accessing your emails," said Drew Brandy, Vice President of Strategy & Development, Inmarsat Enterprise.

"For companies, this means that employees can stay productive and in contact regardless of whether they are in a mobile signal 'blackspot' or in an area simply not covered by a cellular or terrestrial network." 

IsatHub features the highest data rate of any equivalent service, with standard IP data up to 240/384kbps (send/receive) in addition to a dedicated, high-quality voice line, and connects to the outside world via the award-winning Inmarsat-4 (I-4) mobile communications satellite constellation.

Inmarsat will be launching commercial services for IsatHub worldwide in September 2014.