BT Rolls Out Satellite Communications For U.S.

System aimed at companies that need contact with offshore workers

By Teri Robinson

T North America is rolling out a set of satellite communications services and products to U.S. business. Based on an offering launched earlier this year in the United Kingdom, BT's home market, the services and products are aimed mainly at offshore commercial boaters, as well as oil, media, and financial companies that need to keep in touch with workers at sea and in remote places.

At the center of the offering is a $7,000 notebook-sized mobile communications system called the Mobiq that lets users send and receive voice, fax, and data calls over the I nmarsat satellite system. BT marketing manager Marc Steatham says he expects the Mobiq, which was jointly developed by BT and Norway-based Telenor, to eventually become small enough to fit in a breast pocket. The system operates at 2.4 Kbps and has a battery life of 48 hours on standby and four hours in use.

BT North America has priced the Mobiq service at $3 per minute worldwide, though usage-based discount packages can reduce prices by up to 25%. The company plans to use its dedicated domestic staff to sell and support Mobiq in the United States. Steatham expects the U.S. market for these services to grow from about $7 million today to $25 million in the next three years.

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