FleetBroadband from Stratos Enables Broadcast Coverage of Tall Ships Atlantic Challenge

BETHESDA, MD, Aug. 4 /PRNewswire/ - Stratos Global Corporation, the leading global provider of advanced mobile and fixed-site remote communications solutions, today announced it has deployed an Inmarsat FleetBroadband mobile satellite system onboard the tall ship Bark Europa to broadcast coverage of the final leg of the Tall Ships Atlantic Challenge between Halifax and Belfast. The system is being used by BBC Northern Ireland.

The Tall Ships Atlantic Challenge 2009 (www.tallshipsraces.org) is organized by Sail Training International and the American Sail Training Assoc. In April, more than 30 tall ships began competing in a series of races that will eventually cover more than 7,000 miles including ports in Spain, Africa, Bermuda, Canada and Northern Ireland. The final leg of the race began July 20 in Halifax and is scheduled to end in Belfast on August 13.

FleetBroadband from Stratos is being used onboard the Bark Europa (www.barkeuropa.com) to provide live and recorded reports during the race's final leg.

The system is integrated with QuickLink software to enable live video streaming at speeds of 256 kpbs. It is also utilizing Stratos Dashboard to set high-usage alerts and monitor traffic usage. Stratos Trench, an online customer-managed firewall utility, is preventing unauthorized access.

Many media organizations have successfully deployed the land version of this mobile broadband satellite system, BGAN from Stratos, to deliver live and recorded news from remote regions of the world. From the initial BGAN service, the technology has been expanded into the maritime world with the launch of FleetBroadband, offering a cost-effective, high-speed and voice communications - available simultaneously - at speeds up to 432kpbs. FleetBroadband also provides on-demand guaranteed IP data rates, regardless of the vessel's location.

Stratos is the largest supplier of mobile satellite services to the maritime industry, with communications to more than 40,000 maritime terminals worldwide. Stratos offers a wide range of value-added services to ensure optimal FleetBroadband performance, management control and cost efficiency.

Stratos President and CEO Jim Parm said, "Our work on this project represents our most recent successful deployment of Inmarsat mobile satellite services in our 10 years of service to this important, globally recognized broadcaster. FleetBroadband from Stratos is ideally suited to bring the excitement and action of this popular sailing event to a large global audience via a wide range of media."

Stratos' success serving the broadband communications needs of the most prestigious maritime races is well documented. Stratos is the official provider of mobile satellite services to the Volvo Ocean Race 2008-09, the world's premier offshore yachting event covering almost 37,000 nautical miles in nine months. FleetBroadband from Stratos, and other Inmarsat services, provided the communications foundation for the race - for position reporting, sending live video footage or photos of onboard action to the world's media, safety communications, and boosting crew morale by enabling them to call and email their families back home. For the first time this year, dedicated media crew members aboard each racing yacht used FleetBroadband from Stratos to set up live videoconferences, broadcast audio, send photographs, post email blogs and transmit daily HDTV video to a worldwide audience of billions.

After more than 1,000 activations, communications managers worldwide have found that FleetBroadband from Stratos can be rapidly deployed across an entire fleet and, as a standard IP service, seamlessly integrated with head-office networks. Terminals operate globally and the user interface is standard across all products. FleetBroadband from Stratos supports any IP service, as well as traditional circuit-switched voice and ISDN data for legacy applications. Terminal costs are relatively low and the network supports all the latest security protocols. In addition to FleetBroadband, Stratos' industry-leading portfolio of maritime broadband satellite services includes the VSAT solutions OceanVSAT and StratosITek and Iridium OpenPort.

FleetBroadband from Stratos Features The Stratos Advantage

With the benefit of The Stratos Advantage, FleetBroadband from Stratos is elevated far above baseline FleetBroadband services. The value-added services comprising The Stratos Advantage provide users with cost and traffic control, high-usage metering, firewall management, data optimization, real-time traffic overviews, instant remote provisioning, high security options, easy VPN access, messaging services and a full IP range. More than 10,000 mobile users in 180 countries already utilize The Stratos Advantage for BGAN, the land-based version of FleetBroadband. The Stratos Advantage is now fully available for FleetBroadband. Customers utilizing FleetBroadband from Stratos have already begun taking full advantage of this new maritime offering.

In addition to offering The Stratos Advantage, Stratos works with application partners to deliver broadband business solutions in key maritime business areas. These solutions include voyage management, remote management, IT management and cargo management, which help reduce fuel and operations costs and improve crew and customer satisfaction. Maritime customers can secure more information on FleetBroadband from Stratos by calling their Stratos account manager or by visiting www.thepowerofmobilebroadband.com.

About Stratos

Stratos is the world's trusted leader for vital communications. Stratos offers the most powerful and extensive portfolio of remote communications solutions including mobile and fixed satellite and microwave services. More than 20,000 customers use Stratos products and industry-leading value-added services to optimize communications performance. Stratos serves U.S. and international government, military, first responder, NGO, oil and gas, industrial, maritime, aeronautical, enterprise, and media users on seven continents and across the world's oceans. For more information visit www.stratosglobal.com.

The BBC reports are available on the BBC Newsline website www.bbc.co.uk/newsline.

SOURCE Stratos Global Corporation