THERE are a myriad uses for satellite communications, as many countries in the Middle East have discovered. From Iran to Algeria, Turkey to Oman, satellite communications are used by disaster relief organisations, transport managers, and mining and oil exploration companies, and for monitoring cargo traffic through ports, sending telegrams and voice telephone in remote rural areas.

Inmarsat, an internationally operated co-operative of 73 member nations, including Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, Turkey and the UAE, is a leading player in satellite communications. It was set up in 1979 to serve the maritime community but has since expanded into being the sole provider of worldwide mobile satellite communications for commercial, broadcasting, distress and safety applications at sea, in the air and on land.

The first mobile satellite communications system to be introduced was Inmarsat-A, which has provided two-way direct-dial telephone, facsimile, telex, electronic mail and data communications worldwide for more than a decade.

The service was originally used by the maritime industry, from oil tankers to fishing trawlers, but over the past few years transportable Inmarsat- A terminals have been used on land by humanitarian and disaster relief agencies, medical teams working in remote areas and the world's media. As well as direct-dial telephone connections, a range of high-speed data services enabling large volumes of data, high-quality audio, compressed video and still video pictures are possible through Inmarsat-A.

For users who need only data or messaging, Inmarsat-C provides telex, X.25, voice-band data and electronic mail communications using terminals about the size of a laptop computer. It was introduced in 1991, and there are more than 10,000 terminals worldwide.

Wide use

Inmarsat-C is used by road transport fleet managers, oil and gas exploration companies, fishing fleets and merchant ships. Messages and data such as speed, heading, fuel stocks and consumption can be transmitted at pre- arranged intervals. And when an Inmarsat-C terminal is connected to a global positioning system (GPS) receiver, the location of a vessel or vehicle can be automatically and confidentially transmitted at timed intervals directly to the head office or operating base.

The Inmarsat satellite network supports services for passengers and crew on corporate and commercial aircraft. Three types of terminal are available for aeronautical use. One supports data-only communications, mainly for flight-deck and airline operations purposes. Another, with a high-gain antenna, provides flight-deck and passenger voice services. The third service is Aero-C, which provides the Inmarsat-C store-and-forward data capabilities previously available only to maritime and land-mobile users.

The organisation has recently launched two new services. Inmarsat-M is a smaller all-digital version of Inmarsat-A, providing satellite telephone and 2.4 kbit a second fax and data services through lightweight terminals packaged in briefcase units or for installation on ships and road vehicles. Inmarsat-B is an all-digital service which offers a wide range of services including facsimile at 9.6 kbit a second and data at up to 64 kbit a second.

Inmarsat communications are used in the Middle East by construction companies, other commercial enterprises and the oil and gas industries, both onshore and offshore, for much of their administrative and logistical communications between rigs and their offices. Satellite communications are also employed extensively by mining companies and, throughout the region, by heads of state, diplomats and the security services.

Middle Eastern airlines have been among the first to install satellite communications on their aircraft. Kuwait Airways is leading the field, with seven of its aircraft now equipped with satellite phones. Earlier this year, a Kuwait Airways Airbus A300 became the 300th Inmarsat Aero installation to be commissioned. Commissioning is the process whereby every individual aeronautical earth station (AES) is assigned a 'phone number' and registered as being authorised to work with the Inmarsat Aero system. Emirates and Saudia have also installed on-board satellite communications.

Many Middle Eastern ships have been fitted with Inmarsat-A and C terminals for applications which include support of electronic ship management systems.

In the Red Sea, the Gulf and Mediterranean, Inmarsat-C is used to monitor the quality of water, using supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA).

On land, various countries in the region - Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Iran - have already established Inmarsat-A land earth stations, and a number are planning to establish Inmarsat-M and B land earth stations (LESs).

'Saudi Arabia is likely to be the first to build an LES, followed by Kuwait,' says Namir al-Nakib, market manager for government sector maritime services at Inmarsat. 'The Inmarsat-A LES was put out of commission by the Gulf war. But Kuwait is now planning to build LESs for Inmarsat-A, M and B, and is considering one for Aero.'

Many heads of state use the Inmarsat system for security purposes when travelling by land. Government authorities use it at remote police and customs posts in areas where the telecommunications infrastructure is limited. 'Saudi Arabia has been a prime example of this application, particularly in areas where the cellular system was not accessible,' says Al-Nakib.

Flexible

The service is put to short-term use as well as permanent applications. 'During the Lebanon crisis, the banks there used the Inmarsat system to supplement their communications,' says Al-Nakib. 'About 120 Inmarsat-A terminals were used by banks for their telecommunications. And after the Gulf war, in areas of Iraq where communications were damaged, Inmarsat was used to supplement the telephone system, in accordance with UN regulations.

'But Inmarsat communications are used not just for government and emergency applications, but for fun, too. The yachting community in the Middle East is showing an interest in Inmarsat-M. Its small size and light weight make it ideal for small yachts. Large, sophisticated yachts in the region already use Inmarsat-A.'

And, adds Al-Nakib: 'When parties of dignitaries go off to remote desert areas for three days at a time on falcon-hunting excursions, they often have Inmarsat-A installed on their all-terrain vehicles - so that they can keep in touch with their homes and businesses and how the stock market is doing.'